LUCY  GIBBONS 


THE   CHEZZLES 


A   STORY 


LUCY  GIBBONS  MORSE 


Eiustratetr 


BOSTON  AND   NEW  YORK 
HOTJGHTON,   MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 

f£fce  RfljersiDe  Press,  4TambnD0t 

1888 


Copyright,  1888, 
BY  LUCY  GIBBONS  MORSE. 

All  rights  reserved. 


The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge : 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  H.  0.  Houghton  &  Co. 


TO  MY  CHILDREN. 


2037233 


CONTENTS. 


THE  REASONS  WHY  CHALLEY  AND  BOB  CHEZZLE  HAD  TO 
STAY  IN  NlPSIT  ALL  SUMMER,  WITH  NOBODY  TO  TAKE 
CAKE  OF  THEM  BUT  CAPTAIN  PEPPER 1 


II. 
How  CHALLEY  AND  BOB  DECIDED  TO  CATCH  A  WHALE,  AND 

HOW   THEY    WERE     SURE    THAT   AN     INDIAN   WAS    GOING    TO 
8CAU  THEM 19 


m. 

How  THE  FRENCH   DOCTORS    FRIGHTENED    MRS.   CHEZZLE, 

AND    HOW    HER   ARRIVAL    AT    HER    BROTHER'S   HOUSE     DE- 
LIGHTED LITTLE  MARIA  ANTOINETTE  PEXBOT 38 


IV. 

MOLLY  DOLAN  TAKES  MR.  CHEZZLE' s  CLEAN  CI/XTHES  HOME 
ON  TOP  OF  A  CHERRY  PIE,  AND  MAKES  THE  MACKSBYS' 
COOK  UNHAPPY  BY  CLEARING  OUT  THE  TUBS  AND  MENDING 
THE  CLOTHES-WRINGER  FOR  HER 60 


V. 

CAPTAIN    PEPPER'S  TALK    WITH    THE  CHILDREN    ON    THE 
PORCH    .  , 70 


vi  CONTENTS. 


VI. 

HOW    LUCKY   IT    WAS    THAT   BOB?S    LEG   WAS   NOT   BITTEN    EN- 
TIRELY  OFF 77 


VII. 

THE    UTTER    USELESSNESS    OF     TRYING    TO    CONVINCE  MOLLY 

DOLAN   THAT    A    DOGFISH   IS    NOT   A   WHALE 94 


VIII. 

How  MARIA  BOUNCED  INTO  THE  LITTLE  OFFICE  AND  TOOK 
A  DARK  GENTLEMAN  INTO  HER  CONFIDENCE 105 


IX. 

SHOWS  HOW  WELL  A  LITTLE  GlRL  CAN  SELECT  BOATS  IN 
PARIS  FOR  BOYS  IN  AMERICA 112 


X. 

THE  ANXIETY  OF  TWO  MISSIONARIES  AND  THE  DOCTORS  IN 
ATTENDANCE  UPON  MR.  PENROY  TO  GET  THAT  GENTLEMAN 
TO  SIGN  A  DEED  OF  GIFT  FOR  THE  BENEFIT  OF  A  SCHEME 
TO  RAISE  THE  STANDARD  OF  EDUCATION  IN  THE  ISLAND 
OF  MADAGASCAR  .  126 


XL 

How  MARIA  PENROY  GAVE  MORE  OF  HER  CONFIDENCE  TO 

THE  DARK  GENTLEMAN  AND    DELIGHTED    HIS  SOUL  THEREBY    138 


XII. 

HOW   POOR    LITTLE    RANNA   WAS   NEARLY   FRIGHTENED    TO 
DEATH    .    .  .145 


CONTENTS.  Vli 

xm. 

HOW  UNREASONABLY  SEVERE  CHALLEY  AND  BOB  SHOWED 
THEMSELVES  TOWARD  THE  WHOLE  BRITISH  NATION  ;  AND 
HOW  SHIRLEY  BARNES  CONVINCED  CHALLEY  THAT  HE 
KNEW  BETTER  THAN  ANYBODY  WHAT  AVAS  THE  MATTER 
WITH  RANNA  ....  .  159 


XIV. 

How  CHALLEY  SAVED  RANNA' s  LIFE  WHEN  NOBODY  ELSE 
COULD .  171 


XV. 

THE    LAUNCHING    OF    THE    ''MARIA   PEPPER"    AND    THE 
"THOMAS  ANTOINETTE" 187 


XVI. 

HOW    MUCH   FASTER  MR.    PENROY  GOT  WELL  THAN  THE   DOC- 

TORS   EXPECTED   HIM  TO     .  .    192 


XVII. 

POSITIVELY  THE  LAST  APPEARANCE  IN  THIS  STORY  OF  THE 
DOCTORS  AND  THE  MADAGASCARITES 201 


XVIIL 
CLOSE  OF  MRS.  CHEZZLE'S  JOURNAL   .........  214 

XIX. 

MR.  CHEZZLE  is  MORE  DAZED  BY  A  SHORT  LETTER  FROM 
MR.  PENROY  THAN  HE  EVER  WAS  BEFORE.  THE  WORK 
THE  LETTER  GAVE  HIM  TO  DO  .  . 220 


viii  CONTENTS. 

XX. 

WATCHING  FOR  THE  NIPSIT  COACH 236 

XXI. 

MR.   CHEZZLE    CONVINCES    HIS  WIFE    THAT  THE    PENROYS' 
NEIGHBORS  ARE  CHARMING  PEOPLE 247 

XXII. 

THE  CHILDREN  CANNOT  MAKE  LITTLE  BANNA  UNDERSTAND 


257 


XXIII. 

MR.  PENROY  TELLS  HIS  SISTER  ABOUT  THE  VARIOUS  PAPERS 
f  WHICH  HAD  BEEN  SIGNED  BY  HER  AND  HIS  TWO  FRENCH 
PHYSICIANS .  2t>0 


THE  REASONS  WHY  CHARLEY  AND  BOB  CHEZZLE  HAD  TO 
STAY  IN  NIPSIT  ALL  SUMMER,  WITH  NOBODY  TO  TAKE 
CARE  OF  THEM  BUT  CAPTAIN  PEPPER. 

MRS.  CHEZZLE  was  staring  at  vacancy.  She 
was  in  a  car,  on  her  way  home  after  a 
long  shopping-  expedition  with  her  two  little 
boys,  Challey  and  Bob,  as  every  one  called 
them,  although  their  names  were  really  Charles 
Templeton  Penroy  Chezzle  and  Robert  Hun- 
tingdon Chezzle,  as  anybody  could  prove  by 
looking  in  the  inside  of  a  copy  of  "  Franklin's 
Arithmetic  "  belonging  to  the  former,  and  one 
of  "  Swinton's  Second  Reader  "  belonging  to 
the  latter. 

The  Chezzles  lived  so  far  out  t  on  Tremont 
Street  that  people  had  not  stopped  calling  it 
Roxbury. 

It  was  the  seventh  day  of  June,  and  very 
warm.  Everybody  was  hot  except  Mrs.  Chez- 


2  THE   CHEZZLES. 

zle,  and  she  would  have  been  if  she  had  had 
time  to  think  of  the  weather.  There  were  ten 
people  on  the  side  of  the  car  where  Bob  and 
his  mother  sat,  and  only  nine  on  Challey's 
side.  Bob  had  counted  them  several  times,  and 
he  did  not  see  why  a  very  stout  lady  who  got 
in  at  Waltham  Street  chose  to  sit  down  next  to 
him,  when  there  was  more  room  on  the  other 
side.  He  wished  people  wouldn't  be  so  fat, 
anyhow  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  could  squeeze  him- 
self from  behind  the  lady's  elbow  he  slid  down, 
and  took  a  seat  opposite,  by  Challey. 

"  Don't  you  wish  we  were  in  Nipsit  this 
very  minute,  Challey  ? "  he  asked,  taking  off 
his  hat  and  fanning  himself  with  it  because 
that  was  what  his  brother  was  doing. 

"  Yes,"  said  Challey,  "  only  I  'd  like  to  go 
with  mamma  first,  in  the  *  Veal  dy  Hovver ' 
to-morrow,  would  n't  you  ?  I  mean,  to  go  only 
just  over  to  Europe  and  straight  back  again  to 
Captain  Pepper's,  because  — I  wish  mamma 
would  n't  stare  so !  Everybody  's  looking  at 
her."  And  Challey  tried  to  reach  across  the 
car  to  touch  his  mother,  but  the  conductor  got 
in  his  way. 

He  need  not  have  cared,  for  she  was  a  most 
pleasant  little  lady  to  look  at,  with  her  fair, 
pure  forehead,  her  cheeks  reddened  both  by 
the  heat  and  her  busy  thoughts,  and  her 


THE  CHEZZLES.  3 

smooth,  dark  hair  drawn  loosely  back  over  her 
ears,  showing  the  natural  curves  in  which  it 
grew  and  a  pretty  way  of  its  own  of  kinking  a 
trifle  upon  one  side  of  the  parting  and  droop- 
ing a  little  on  the  other.  Her  bonnet  and 
dress,  simple  enough  to  escape  notice,  betrayed 
a  person  of  exquisite  neatness  and  refined 
taste.  She  was  only  a  little  over  thirty,  and, 
staring  into  vacancy  with  her  great  blue  eyes, 
she  looked  wonderfully  like  Challey  and  quite 
as  innocent. 

There  was  never  a  more  unconscious  stare 
on  the  face  of  anybody.  She  had  been  ex- 
amining a  handful  of  papers  with  memoranda 
upon  them,  and  was  trying  to  think  of  some- 
thing she  had  forgotten.  The  conductor  moved 
along,  and  Challey  was  just  going  to  touch  her 
when  the  item  she  wanted  flashed  into  her 
memory. 

"  Glassman  !  "  she  cried  out,  aloud,  glaring 
into  the  face  of  an  opposite  passenger,  and 
making  him  jump  as  she  dropped  hands  and 
papers  suddenly  upon  her  knees.  She  was 
irresistibly  unconscious.  Everybody  laughed. 
They  were  in  such  a  quiet  street  and  her.  voice 
had  rung  out  so  clearly  that  the  word  and  ac- 
tion had  not  been  lost  by  anybody,  except  the 
fat  lady,  who  awakened,  with  a  start,  from  a 


4:  THE   CHEZZLES. 

comfortable  doze,  and,  with  a  sudden  fear  lest 
she  had  passed  her  destination,  hitched  herself 
about  to  discover  where  she  was  and  what  the 
people  were  laughing  at.  Her  eye  caught 
nothing  unusual  but  Challey,  who  was  bursting 
with  indignation,  and  had  doubled  up  his  fists 
at  everybody. 

"  Never  mind,  sonny,"  she  said,  leaning  for- 
ward to  pat  his  shoulder  good-naturedly.  "  Let 
'em  laugh  at  you  ;  what  's  the  harm  ?  " 

Bob  could  not  hold  in  another  second,  and 
sniggered  outright. 

"  Never  mind  !  "  the  fat  lady  said  again. 

But  Challey  did  mind  very  much.  He  said 
nothing,  however,  for  he  succeeded  at  last  in 
touching  his  mother  and  motioning  to  the  con- 
ductor to  stop  the  car  and  let  them  out. 

"  Go  in  the  house  quickly,  Challey  dear," 
his  mother  said,  when  they  reached  the  side- 
walk. "  You  are  overheated  and  must  not  be 
in  the  sun.  I  have  an  errand  to  do  a  little 
way  down  this  street ;  tell  papa  I  shall  be  at 
home  in  a  few  minutes  to  help  with  the  pack- 
ing." Mrs.  Chezzle  turned  the  corner  and 
disappeared  while  the  little  boys  rang  the  front- 
door bell. 

"  /  could  n't  help  it,  Challey,"  Bob  was 
saying  when  Molly  Dolan  opened  the  door ; 


THE   CHEZZLES.  5 

"  first  mamma  staring  her  eyes  most  out,  and 
then  you  slamming  your  hat  on  this  way,"  — 
Bob  imitated  the  act  perfectly,  —  "  and  then 
that  awful  fat  lady  waking  up,  and  all  the  peo- 
ple laughing  !  A  fellow  can't  help  laughing 
when  everybody  's  funny  all  at  the  same  time, 
can  he  ?  " 

"  Sure  now  an'  who  'd  be  wantin'  'em  to  ? 
And  with  all  that  's  goin'  on  in  the  house 
this  day  it  's  a  bit  of  a  laugh  now  an'  thin  '11 
be  useful  an'  hilp  along  the  worrick,"  said 
Molly,  who  was  a  neat,  blooming  Irish  girl 
with  very  red  eyes,  which  belied  her  cheerful 
words. 

After  a  general  tour  of  inspection  the  boys 
submitted  to  having  their  best  clothes  ex- 
changed for  every-day  ones,  and  retired  to  the 
back  yard  in  search  of  amusement. 

ChaUey  would  be  nine  years  old  early  in 
August,  and  Bob  was  but  just  seven.  Molly 
had  lived  with  the  Chezzles  since  Challey  was  a 
baby,  and  her  eyes  were  red  because  she  was  to 
be  separated  from  her  "  two  byes  "  for  the  first 
time.  She  was  a  sunny-hearted  girl,  however ; 
and  if  she  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  have  a  cry  while  her  mistress  was  out,  or  if 
she  shed  a  few  tears  in  the  retirement  of  the 
china-closet,  she  made  it  a  point  to  be  cheerful 
in  the  presence  of  any  of  the  family. 


6  THE  CHEZZLES. 

"  Bein'  as  it  's  me  juty,"  she  explained  to 
her  younger  sister  Katy,  who  had  come  for  the 
day  to  help,  "  to  kape  up  ther  spirits  a  hit  be — 
befar  they  '11  be  scat —  scattered  "  —  she  had 
to  recover  her  breath  before  she  sobbed  out  in 
spasmodic  jerks  —  "  scattered  to  the  far  winds. 
Oh,  what  '11  I  do  !  But  it  's  you,  Katy,  that 
knows  the  whilst  I  'm  gay  an'  lively  me  heart 
is  jist  breakin'  into  —  into  twinty  smahl  paces 
—  it  is  that  —  but,"  with  tears  rolling  down  her 
cheeks,  "  I  'm  cheerful  an'  as  gay  as  —  as  the 
tay-kittle.  It 's  not  mesilf  '11  be  putting  anny- 
thing  extra  into  the  prassent  emargency  !  " 

It  was  certainly  an  emergency.  There  had 
never  been  one  like  it  in  the  Chezzle  family. 
Here  was  the  little  house  to  be  rented  fur- 
nished, all  but  the  large  third-story  back  room, 
which  Mr.  Chezzle  was  to  occupy  himself,  as 
his  business  would  keep  him  in  town  all  sum- 
mer. The  little  boys  were  to  be  sent  to  Nip- 
sit  coast  to  board  with  Captain  Zenas  Pep- 
per, and  Mrs.  Chezzle  was  to  sail  for  France 
in  the  "  Ville  de  Havre "  on  the  very  next 
day. 

Bob  said  it  was  like  fire-crackers  going  off 
to  decide  so  many  things  all  at  once,  and  both 
children  enjoyed  the  excitement  hugely. 

"  It  feels  like  a  birthday,"  Challey  said,  "  as 


THE   CHEZZLES.  7 

if  something  was  going  to  happen  all  the  time, 
and  it  's  almost  as  much  fun  as  moving." 

The  cause  of  the  excitement  was  the  arrival, 
a  few  days  before,  of  two  letters  from  France 
for  Mrs.  Chezzle.  One  was  from  a  lawyer,  and 
read  as  f oUows  :  — 

PARIS,  May  25. 

MME.  ELLEN  PEKROY  CHEZZLE. 

DEAR  MADAME,  —  At  the  request  of  my 
client,  Mr.  Thomas  Penroy,  your  brother,  I 
write  to  convey  to  you  the  painful  intelligence 
that,  according  to  the  report  of  his  physicians, 
he  is  ill  beyond  all  hope  of  recovery.  He  is 
anxious  to  provide  for  his  young  daughter,  and 
looks  to  you  and  your  husband  as  the  only  rel- 
atives in  any  way  able  to  assume  the  care  of 
her.  He  therefore  begs  that  you  will,  if  it  be 
in  your  power  to  do  so,  come  to  him  without 
delay  and  prepared  to  take  the  child  back  with 
you  to  America  immediately  upon  the  event  of 
his  death.  If  you  are  unable  to  come  yourself, 
Mr.  Penroy  wishes  to  send  his  daughter  to  you 
under  my  own  personal  protection.  He  ear- 
nestly begs  that  you  will  cable  your  reply  to 
his  entreaty  as  soon  as  possible. 

In  further  accordance  with  his  wishes  I  en- 
close a  check,  which  he  hopes  will  be  sufficient 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  your  journey,  in  case 


8  THE   CHEZZLES. 

you  decide  to  come,  and  he  expresses  the  hope 
of  being  able  also  to  pay  for  the  cost  of  your 
passage  home.     With  respect,  I  am,  Madame, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

JEAN  AUGUSTS  DUVERGNE. 

The  other  letter  was  from  Meaux,  in  the  sub- 
urbs of  Paris,  and  was  evidently  written  with 
great  difficulty,  in  a  round,  struggling,  childish 
hand.  It  read  :  — 

MA  TANTE  HELENE,  —  Papa  will  to  go  to 
Heffen  in  pont  vun  mont  or  leetl  days.  Papa 
say  I  mus  yu  to  luf  a  cause  he  yu  luf  ven  you 
leetl  chile  i  yu  luf  eaf  yu  haf  ze  chin  not  poke 
out  like  to  M.  le  docteur  fraidikeu  an  eaf  yu 
hav  not  les  yeux  si  petit  votre  niece 

MARIA  ANTOINETTE  PENROY. 

i  haf   no  personnes   i  luf  excepte  mon  papa. 
J'aime  toujours  mon  papa. 

Mrs.  Chezzle  had  read  the  letters  until  she 
knew  them  by  heart,  and  had  cried  over  them, 
especially  over  the  one  written  by  her  little 
niece.  She  had  heard  nothing  of  her  brother 
for  many  years,  and  had  not  seen  him  since  she 
was  too  young  to  remember  what  he  looked 
like. 

Of  course  it  was  decided  at  once  that  she 


THE  CHEZZLES.  9 

would  obey  his  summons,  and  that  she  would 
bring  Maria  home  with  her. 

"  Since  your  features  are  all  right,  Nelly 
dear,  I  think  we  are  safe  on  that  score,"  her 
husband  had  said,  smiling.  "  There  '11  be  only 
the  consideration  of  one  more  child  to  pro- 
vide for,  and  we  must  manage  that  somehow. 
I  judge  from  the  lawyer's  letter  that  if  Mr. 
Penroy  succeeds  in  scraping  together  enough 
to  pay  her  passage,  it  will  be  all  he  can  do.  As 
to  your  passage,  my  dear,  I  prefer  to  pay  that 
myself,  if  I  have  to  sell  something  to  make  it 
possible.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  write  to  you 
to  return  his  check,  or  to  reserve  it  for  his 
little  girl's  benefit." 

"  But,  John,"  his  wife  replied,  "  as  I  am  go- 
ing for  his  sake,  I  don't  see  why  you  should  not 
let  him  pay  my  way,  if  he  can.  Certainly  you 
ought  not  to  afford  it,  and,  if  he  is  dying,  poor 
fellow,  and  you  are  going  to  support  Maria,  — 
I  feel  sure  she  is  a  dear  little  thing,  and  that 
she  is  simply  pining  for  some  woman  to  love,  — 
you  can  see  by  her  letter  that  she  does  not  care 
now  for  a  soul  except  her  father.  I  don't  be- 
lieve I  was  ever  so  glad  before  that  my  eyes 
are  big  "  — 

"  And  your  chin,"  interrupted  her  husband, 
taking  hold  of  it  and  stooping  to  kiss  her, 


10  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  although  a  fair,  decided  chin,  with  a  dimple 
into  the  bargain,  does  n't  'poke  out'  a  hair's 
breadth  too  far.  Well !  "  he  added,  rough- 
ing up  his  hair :  "  There  is  not  much  time 
given  us  to  speculate  in,  and  we  '11  hope  for 
the  best.  Whatever  your  brother  is,  he  calls 
for  our  sympathy.  And  the  wealth  of  the  In- 
dies could  not  supply  him  with  such  comfort 
for  his  last  days  as  the  '  Ville  de  Havre  '  will 
take  to  him  in  the  form  of  his  little  sister, 
Ellen  Chezzle.  So  now,  to  business.  In  the 
first  place,  we  '11  decide  to  let  that  Mr.  Macksby 
who  wants  the  house  have  it  for  the  summer. 
That  will  enable  us  to  send  the  boys  to  Captain 
Pepper,  and  —  let  us  begin  to  make  out  the 
inventory." 

So  it  was  all  arranged,  and  it  was  no  wonder 
that  Molly  Dolan  thought  the  family  was  to 
be  scattered  to  the  "  far  winds."  Challey  and 
Bob  were  the  only  ones  who  enjoyed  the  situa- 
tion, but  their  happiness  was  a  blessing  to  the 
household.  Of  course  they  got  into  everybody's 
way  occasionally,  but  their  small  legs  saved  a 
great  many  steps  for  others  by  the  eagerness 
with  which  they  ran  on  errands  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  the  sense  of  importance  they  acquired 
was  fairly  earned. 

They  were  entitled  to  the  happiness  as  well. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  11 

Their  school-fellows  had  voted  the  day  before, 
at  recess,  that  the  Chezzle  boys  were  "  in  for 
the  best  fun  a  fellow  could  possibly  have." 
The  boys  had  been  telling  one  another  where 
they  were  to  spend  the  summer,  and  Chal- 
ley  had  excited  universal  envy  by  making  the 
following  announcement :  "  We  are  going  to 
Nipsit  in  Cape  Cod  to  stay  all  alone  with  Cap- 
tain Pepper,  and  he 's  a  real  sea-captain  and 
he  's  been  the  top-captain  of  lots  of  whaling- 
vessels  and  has  caught  heaps  of  whales  and 
been  around  the  world  often  and  often  and  he 
knows  everything !  " 

Challey,  stopping  for  breath,  Bob  struck  in  : 
"  And  he  lives  all  alone  and  he  can  keep  house 
and  cook  just  as  well  as  my  mother  and  sew  on 
buttons  and  take  care  of  sick  folks  and  build 
a  ship  and  a  steamboat  all  by  himself  !  "  The 
boys  in  Bob's  class  believed  every  word,  but 
Challey's  class  contained  members  who  doubted 
the  last  statement.  However,  that  was  unim- 
portant ;  the  main  facts  were  delightful,  and  a 
general  sentiment  prevailed  to  the  effect  that 
the  joys  of  Newport,  Narraganset,  Lenox,  Long 
Branch  —  even  Europe,  were  mild  in  contrast 
with  the  fun  of  living  all  alone  with  a  real  sea- 
captain.  "  Won't  it  be  grand,  Bob,  to  have 
nobody  to  take  care  of  us  except  good  old 


12  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Captain  Pepper?"  said  Challey  in  the  back 
yard  where  they  were  sharpening  their  jack- 
knives  on  two  bricks. 

"  Yes,"  said  Bob.  "  Don't  you  pity  Fred 
and  Mora  Wellington  because  they  've  got  to 
go  to  their  place  at  Newport  ?  " 

"  Of  course,"  said  Challey,  "  I  pity  'em  like 
thunder.  Mora  told  me  all  about  it.  They 
never  go  barefooted,  and  they  have  to  ride 
everywhere  in  carriages  and  play  tennis  and 
sit  at  the  dinner-table  forever  !  Bob,  you  must 
rub  your  thumb  up  and  down  the  blade  —  so  — 
to  see  if  it  's  sharp  enough." 

"  Mine  is  n't  sharp  yet,"  said  Bob,  following 
ChaUey's  directions.  "  This  is  the  way  papa 
sharpens  his  razors,  Challey,"  he  added,  going 
to  work  again  in  a  frightful  manner  with  his 
knife.  Presently  he  said,  "  But  they  do  have 
live  ponies  of  their  very  own,  Challey !  and 
there  's  lots  of  fun  in  the  stables,  and  then 
there  's  ice-cream  for  dessert !  " 

"  Pooh  !  "  exclaimed  Challey,  contemptu- 
ously, snapping  his  knife  shut  and  putting  it 
into  his  pocket.  "  What  's  ah1  that  to  digging 
clams  and  helping  Cap'm  Pepper  wash  out  his 
sail-boat?" 

"  And  scup  !  and  puff-pigs !  "  cried  Bob. 
"  /  think  just  puff-pigs  are  better  than  ponies, 


THE   CHEZZLES.  13 

if  you  have  to  be  fashionable  !  Is  your  knife 
done  ?  I  can  rub  my  thumb  up  and  down  the 
blade  of  mine  as  hard  as  anything,  and  it  don't 
cut  yet." 

"  I  'm  going  to  finish  mine  at  Nipsit,  on 
Cap'm  Pepper's  grindstone,"  said  Challey. 
"  Come,  let  's  pack ;  papa  said  we  might  put 
just  what  we  liked  in  one  box." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  Bob,  springing  up. 
"  Then  I  '11  take  my  brick,  sure  !  " 

The  Chezzles  had  been  six  successive  sum- 
mers to  Nipsit,  on  the  Massachusetts  coast,  five 
miles  from  any  railroad.  They  knew  nearly 
everybody  in  the  village,  and  could  not  have 
found  a  better  place  in  which  to  leave  their 
little  boys.  Captain  Zenas  Pepper  was  a  man 
of  about  sixty,  and  had  lived  alone  since  the 
death  of  his  wife,  eight  years  back.  He  had 
been  devotedly  attached  to  her,  and  showed  his 
reverence  and  tenderness  for  her  memory  in  a 
simple  way,  which  some  people  thought  ridic- 
ulous, but  which  he  continued  to  pursue  with 
unaltered  regularity.  He  refused  all  offers 
from  relatives  who  wished  to  help  him,  would 
have  nobody  to  live  with  him,  and  carried  on 
the  little  affairs  of  his  house  in  the  precise 
routine  which  his  wife,  Luella,  had  established. 

He  liked  nothing  better  than  to  talk  about 


14  THE   CHEZZLES. 

her,  and  it  was  easy  to  draw  him  out  on  the 
subject.  Mrs.  Chezzle  went  to  Nipsit  the  day 
after  she  received  these  foreign  letters  on  pur- 
pose to  make  an  arrangement  with  him  con- 
cerning her  two  boys.  They  already  looked 
upon  him  as  an  intimate  and  confidential  friend, 
and  he  had  often  jokingly  proposed  to  them  to 
come  and  live  with  him.  To  have  such  a  plan 
considered  seriously  took  him  by  surprise,  and 
at  first  he  did  not  know  what  to  say.  "  But 
there  was  Mrs.  Chezzle,  as  neat  and  quiet  as 
if  she  had  just  stepped  out  of  a  Quaker  Meetin'- 
house  ;  "  he  explained  to  Mrs.  Tuckit,  his  op- 
posite neighbor.  "  Of  course,  I  was  n't  goin' 
to  let  her  put  up  anywhere  but  to  my  house  for 
a  tiffin,  an'  I  was  cookin'  it.  I  never  see  any- 
body look  trigger,  nor  move  about  quieter.  She 
found  out  where  the  dishes  belong  while  my 
back  was  turned,  and  she  set  the  table  for  us 
two  as  easy  as  if  she  was  in  her  own  house.  And 
the  most  wonderful  part  of  it  was  her  brihgin'  a 
lunch-basket  all  the  way  from  Boston,  with  a 
roast  chicken  in  it,  on  account  of  takin'  me  by 
surprise !  I  never  seen  any  one  like  her.  Then 
she  told  me  all  about  her  brother  dyin'  in  for- 
eign parts,  and  —  what  else  could  I  do,  Mrs. 
Tuckit  ?  An'  she  can't  do  different.  She  an' 
her  husband  can't  hand  over  those  two  little 


THE   CHEZZLES.  15 

chaps  to  anybody  that  might  chance  to  come 
along  —  of  course  not !  So  we  settled  it  all 
while  we  were  washin'  the  dishes.  She  's  as 
deft  a  body  at  that  as  ever  I  see  in  my  life. 
Not  a  single  dish  did  she  set  down  with  a  bang, 
and  the  most  she  hed  to  ask  was  a  pleasant- 
spoken  :  (  Uncle  Zenas,  shall  I  hang  the  towel 
here?' 

"  So  it  's  settled,  and  that  Molly  of  theirs  is 
to  come  down  if  either  of  the  boys  is  taken 
sick,  and,  with  you  to  mend  'em  up,  I  don't 
see  but  what  we  '11  get  along  somehow." 

To  Mrs.  Chezzle  he  had  explained  his  habits 
without  reserve,  had  shown  her  all  over  the 
house  with  great  satisfaction,  and,  as  proof 
positive  that  he  knew  how  to  take  all  necessary 
personal  care  of  her  children,  had  pulled  open 
a  bureau  drawer  while  he  was  saying :  "  I  've 
done  up  my  own  things  ever  since  Luella  died, 
and  I  'd  like  to  see  anybody  wash  and  iron  a 
b'iled  shirt  better  than  I  can.  Look  for  your- 
self, Mrs.  Chezzle,  and,  if  there  's  more  than  a 
fly-speck  left  on  them  shirts  an'  dickies,  I  'd 
like  to  know  it." 

Once  started,  the  captain  liked  to  go 
through  a  list  of  his  regular  occupations,  so  he 
went  on  :  "  My  wife  Luella  used  to  sweep  the 
f o'castle  —  that 's  up-stairs  —  every  Wednesday 


16  THE   CHEZZLES. 

two  weeks,  and  the  hulk  an'  lockers  every 
Friday.  She  did  the  scrubbin'  an'  polishin'  o' 
the  decks  on  Saturdays,  an'  she  hauled  over  the 
riggin'  most  any  time.  Ever  since  she  died, 
I  've  followed  in  her  wake,  an'  no  livin'  creetur, 
man  or  woman,  ain't  goin'  to  do  it  for  me 
in  this  house  —  not  till  I  'm  ready  to  heave-to 
an'  go  to  the  cemet'ry.  An'  there  's  a  good 
deal  o'  wear  in  me  yet.  I  like  her  mem'ry  bet- 
ter than  other  f  oiks' s  company.  Is  there  any 
harm  in  that,  Mrs.  Chezzle  ?  But  your  chil- 
dren are  different.  They  '11  be  mates  and  '11 
take  orders.  And  she  was  very  fond  of  chil- 
dren, was  Luella ! "  And  the  captain  went  to 
the  window  to  see  which  way  the  wind  was,  as 
an  excuse  to  hide  a  mist  that  had  suddenly 
dimmed  his  eyes. 

Thus,  while  on  the  evening  of  June  8th  Mr. 
Chezzle  was  putting  his  third-story  back  room 
to  rights,  —  a  difficult  task  because  so  many 
things  had  been  put  there  for  storage,  —  and 
while  Mrs.  Chezzle,  down  in  the  harbor,  was 
lying  in  her  berth  on  the  steamer,  tired  out 
and  very  homesick,  Challey  and  Bob  were  sit- 
ting in  Captain  Pepper's  kitchen,  down  at  Nipsit, 
feeling  as  if  life  there  would  be  nicer  of  morn- 
ings, may  be,  than  after  dark,  and  wishing  that 
mamma  was  there  to  put  them  to  bed  just  that 


THE  CHEZZLES.  17 

once.  They  were  plucky  little  fellows,  though, 
and  would  not,  for  worlds,  own  up  to  each 
other  how  they  felt. 

Challey  ran  his  fingers  through  his  hair,  in 
imitation  of  a  familiar  gesture  of  his  father's, 
to  see  if  that  would  encourage  him,  but  it  did 
not  seem  to.  He  thought  it  would,  if  his  hair 
were  not  so  short. 

Bob  squeezed  his  handkerchief  into  a  tight 
wad,  and  rubbed  his  nose  upwards  until  it  was 
as  red  as  a  cherry,  remarking :  "  My  nose 
tickles,  Challey,  and  that 's  what  makes  water 
come  into  my  eyes  !  " 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  captain 
came,  and,  sitting  down  in  his  great  leathern 
arm-chair,  lifted  Bob  upon  one  knee  and  Chal- 
ley upon  the  other,  saying  cheerfully :  "  Now, 
messmates,  this  is  our  first  night  together,  and 
I  'm  going  to  draw  up  a  compact  ;  do  you 
know  what  that  is,  Bob  ?  " 

"  A  compack  ?  Is  it  a  kind  of  a  trunk  ?  " 
asked  Bob. 

"Pass  it!  Do  you  know,  Challey?"  he 
asked  while  Challey  was  saying  eagerly :  "  / 
know :  it  's  a  little  thing  to  tell  which  is 
North,  and  it  's  to  steer  a  vessel  with !  " 

"  No,  that 's  a  compass,"  said  the  captain. 
"  Yet  you  're  about  right,  too,  for  my  compact 


18  THE   CHEZZLES. 

is  to  steer  with,  an'  no  mistake.  Do  either  of 
ye  know  what  a  promise  is  ?  " 

"  Ye-e-es !  "  cried  both  boys  together,  and 
Bob  added  :  "  It 's  saying  you  '11  do  something 
sure-pop  !  " 

"  Well,"  said  Captain  Pepper,  "  a  compact  is 
just  as  many  promises  as  there  are  people.  Now 
we  are  three  people,  so  there  '11  be  three  prom- 
ises. You  have  heard  me  talk  about  my  wife 
Luella ;  most  as  much,  I  reckon,  as  I  've  heard 
you  talk  about  your  mother.  My  compact  is 
this :  that  you  are  to  promise  to  do  things 
about  the  house  just  the  way  Luella  would  like 
'em  done  ;  and  I  am  to  promise  to  do  everything 
I  can  for  you  just  the  way  your  mother  'd  like. 
That  '11  be  fair  an'  square.  So,  to  begin  with, 
we  '11  get  you  to  bed,  and  if  you  '11  work  hard 
at  rememberin',  I  '11  work  hard  at  puzzlin'  out 
your  mother's  way  of  doin'  it,  from  the  takin' 
off  of  these  here  jackets,  clean  down  to  sayin' 
the  prayers  what  she  's  taught  ye." 

"  Oh,  what  a  splendid  compack  !  "  cried  Chal- 
ley.  And  Bob  held  the  captain's  hand  tight, 
as  they  climbed  the  stairs,  declaring  that  it  was 
the  best  pack  he  ever  heard  of  in  his  life. 


II. 


HOW  CHALLEY  AND  BOB  DECIDED  TO  CATCH  A  WHALE, 
AND  HOW  THEY  WERE  SURE  THAT  AX  INDIAN  WAS 
GOING  TO  SCALP  THEM. 

THE  responsibility  which  Captain  Pepper 
had  taken  upon  himself  was  the  talk  of 
Nipsit.  The  old  ladies,  especially  those  who 
had  made  him  offers  of  help,  were  put  out 
about  it.  At  one  of  the  weekly  sewing-circles, 
Mrs.  Ann  Haxter  said  it  was  the  "  biggest  mis- 
take he  'd  ever  made  yet,  and  she  hoped  he  'd 
live  to  see  it."  Aunt  Phosbe  Miller  said  boys 
were  well  enough  where  they  belonged,  but 
Zenas  Pepper's  house  was  not  the  place  for 
them.  Mrs.  Shubael  Simmaker  took  off  her 
spectacles  to  say,  solemnly :  "  Wait  till  the 
summer  's  over  —  that  's  all  /  ask  !  "  But 
Miss  Sophia  Wringer  had  the  most  to  say,  and 
felt  a  grievance  into  the  bargain.  "  He  's  had 
offers  and  offers,  from  the  best  and  most  re- 


20  THE   CHEZZLES. 

spectable  ladies,  to  look  after  his  house,"  she 
said.  "  Even  /  have  offered  !  But  no  —  not  a 
person  will  he  have  sleep  under  his  roof,  be- 
cause he 's  laid  out  to  keep  things  just  as 
Luella  used  to,  and  a  body  can't  so  much  as 
hang  a  bonnet  up  for  fear  of  putting  it  on  the 
wrong  peg.  And  now  "  —  she  paused  to  in- 
clude the  whole  company  in  the  glare  of  her 
spectacles  before  she  said  —  "  boys  !  "  as  if 
she  was  pronouncing  the  name  of  a  tribe  of 
savages.  "  What  would  Luella  have  said  to 
boys  ?  " 

Miss  Wringer  took  up  her  work  again  and 
sewed  with  such  energy  that  she  jerked  her 
body  with  every  stitch. 

"  If  he  's  sot,  he 's  sot.  But  he  's  gone 
back  on  his  word,  as  you  say,  Miss  Wringer," 
said  Mrs.  Haxter. 

"  Sot  ?  "  cried  Miss  Wringer.  "  He 's  shifty- 
minded  !  "  and  she  was  so  angry  that  she  broke 
her  thread.  Then  she  added  :  "  Wait  till  the 
boys  catch  the  measles, — that's  all!"  And 
that  suggestion  seemed  to  comfort  the  ladies 
greatly,  for  there  was  in  it  a  fair  prospect  that 
Captain  Pepper  would  be  punished  for  his  im- 
prudence before  the  summer  was  over.  The 
mention  of  "  whooping-cough !  "  in  a  cheerful 
tone,  came  from  one  person,  "  nettle-rash  !  " 


THE  CHEZZLES.  21 

from  another,  and  a  long  list  of  possible  ills 
followed,  from  one  or  other  of  the  company, 
until  the  tone  of  conversation  became  quite 
happy. 

Captain  Pepper  heard  a  good  deal  of  this, 
in  one  form  or  another,  but  was  not  disturbed. 
His  busy,  cheery  neighbor,  Mrs.  Tuckit,  who 
had  a  troop  of  children  of  her  own,  gratified 
him  by  saying : 

"  With  the  fancy  for  young  folks  that  you 
have,  Uncle  Zenas,  you  '11  find  out  all  you 
need  to,  most  likely,  as  you  go  along  ;  but  if 
you  come  to  anything  you  don't  understand, 
and  want  help,  just  send  for  me.  Let  them 
come  over  of  a  Sunday  morning  to  get  their 
neckties  put  on,  and  I  '11  see  that  they  're  all 
right  for  meeting." 

The  boys  had  not  been  with  the  good  cap- 
tain twenty-four  hours,  however,  before  he  en- 
countered some  difficulties  for  which  he  was 
not  prepared.  He  found  it  next  to  impossible, 
at  first,  to  keep  up  a  knowledge  of  their  where- 
abouts. They  would  be  in  a  dozen  different 
places  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  and  some- 
times it  seemed  to  him  as  if  they  were  in  all  of 
them  at  once. 

After  a  week  of  surveying  the  neighborhood 
in  this  manner,  they  took  to  going  nearly  every 


22  THE   CHEZZLES. 

day  to  a  place  which  was  known  as  "  Gull 
Marsh,"  about  half  a  mile  beyond  the  last  cot- 
tage along  the  shore,  where  the  sea  flowed 
over  some  flats  and  formed  itself  into  most 
entertaining  little  bays  and  creeks.  Here  they 
sailed  their  boats,  built  dams  and  bridges, 
and  had  a  world  of  pleasure.  They  found 
more  arrow-heads  there  than  anywhere  else, 
too,  and,  what  with  stories  of  the  early  settle- 
ment of  the  country  with  which  their  heads 
were  full,  and  the  sight  of  an  occasional  mild, 
modern  Indian  taking  a  short  cut  through  the 
woods  in  that  direction  by  what  was  called 
"  The  Indians'  Path,"  and  which  led  to  the 
Reservation  a  few  miles  away,  the  place  worked 
upon  their  imaginations,  and  they  were  fully 
persuaded  that,  if  Captain  Pepper  would  only 
let  them  explore  a  little  beyond  it,  they  would 
discover  wigwams  and  wild  savages,  without  a 
doubt. 

Where  was  the  use  of  his  telling  them  about 
the  Reservation  when  Challey  had  read  Higgin- 
son's  "  Young  Folks'  History  "  and  Scudder's 
"  United  States  "  ?  and  then,  did  not  papa  tell 
them  Indian  stories  every  night  when  they 
were  in  Boston  ?  No  ;  the  captain's  authority 
on  this  subject  was  insufficient  altogether. 
They  decided  that  his  "explorings"  were  all 


THE   CHEZZLES.  23 

carried  on  by  sea,  and  that  it  was  more  than 
ought  to  be  expected  of  him  that  he  should 
know  everything  about  the  Indians. 

"  Discoveries  on  land  are  always  made  by 
such  folks  as  Christopher  Columbus,  Bob," 
Challey  explained.  "  But  it  would  n't  be  polite 
to  tell  Cap'm  Pepper  that  we  know  more 
than  he  does  about  Indians.  And  then  he  'd 
be  worried  about  our  playing  at  the  marsh,  if 
he  knew  there  was  a  tribe  so  near  it ;  and  there 
is  n't  a  bit  of  danger,  because  we  can  hide  as 
soon  as  we  hear  a  war-whoop  !  " 

None  of  these  fears  troubled  the  captain, 
and,  in  his  ignorance  of  the  savage  tribes 
with  which  the  imagination  of  the  boys  had 
peopled  the  neighborhood  of  Gull  Marsh,  he 
considered  it  a  safe  place  for  them  to  play 
in,  and  was  so  well  satisfied  at  knowing  where 
to  look  for  them,  that  he  made  no  complaint 
because  they  were  very  late  to  dinner,  and 
waited  patiently  for  his  meal  until  they  got 
hungry  enough  to  come  home. 

His  forbearance  was  rewarded,  however,  one 
day  when  they  were  unusually  late,  by  Challey, 
with  a  piece  of  potato  on  his  fork,  halfway  to 
his  mouth,  suddenly  asking :  "  Cap'm  Pepper, 
did  you  get  so  hungry  as  we  are,  waiting  for 
your  dinner  ?  " 


24  THE   CHEZZLES. 

The  captain  seized  the  opportunity,  put  on  a 
most  doleful  expression,  declared  that  he  had 
been  "  as  hungry  as  a  wracked  sailor,"  and  drew 
such  a  pitiful  picture  of  his  starving  condition 
that  Challey  and  Bob  both  declared  they  would 
never  be  late  again.  But  the  captain  was  so 
overcome  with  remorse  at  sight  of  their  peni- 
tence, that  he  came  very  near  spoiling  their 
good  resolutions  by  calling  himself  a  heartless 
sea-monster,  and  promising  to  make  Bob  a  new 
boat  immediately  after  dinner.  He  fulfilled 
the  promise  admirably,  and  went  further,  for  he 
made  two  boats  instead  of  one,  and  so  filled 
the  little  hearts  with  gratitude  that  they  took 
great  pains  the  next  day  to  listen  to  the  noon 
bell  when  it  was  rung  in  the  village,  and  after 
that  they  were  tolerably  prompt  at  dinner. 

In  the  afternoons  they  were  more  with  the 
captain,  "  helping "  him  clean  his  boat,  the 
Luella,  taking  a  sail  in  it  with  him,  fishing 
for  scup,  working  in  the  shed  where  the  car- 
penter's bench  and  tools  were,  digging  clams, 
or  doing  something  equally  pleasant.  They 
followed  the  captain  like  little  dogs,  and  had 
so  many  questions  to  ask,  and  so  much  to  tell, 
that  it  would  have  gone  hard  with  him  if  he 
had  not  let  much  of  their  talk  go  into  one 
ear  and  out  of  the  other.  They  had,  among 


.  •  M 


THE   CHEZZLES 

other  things,  a  great  deal  to  say  about  a 
which  they  had  seen,  and  indignantl^sepi 
Captain  Pepper's  remark  that  it  must  ha> 
a  dog-fish,  or  a  floating  cask,  and  althouglr^s 
explained  to  them  how,  sometimes,  the  dog-fish 
follow  the  menhaden  into  shallow  water,  and 
how,  if  they  are  not  meddled  with,  they  are 
harmless  and  soon  disappear,  the  boys  were 
persistent  in  maintaining  that  they  had  seen 
a  veritable  whale. 

"  It 's  a  very  dangerous  whale,  too,"  the 
captain  heard  Bob  say,  "  and  we  're  building  a 
trap  to  catch  him."  He  took  little  note  of 
their  talk ;  none  the  less  Challey  gave  him  a 
full  account  of  the  construction  of  the  trap, 
and  he  might  have  learned  a  great  deal  if  he 
had  only  listened. 

He  did  go  so  far  as  to  ask  them  how  many 
whales  the  trap  was  intended  to  catch,  and  to 
inquire  occasionally  whether  they  had  yet  cap- 
tured any.  But  they  soon  detected  the  light 
manner  with  which  he  regarded  their  serious 
enterprise,  and  were  a  little  injured  by  it.  They 
brought  him  round  by  remarking  that  they 
"  guessed  he  'd  believe  it  when  they  told  him 
some  day  that  it  was  caught,  and  he  could  have 
it  to  sell  for  a  whole  lot  of  money  ! "  After 
that  he  teased  them  no  more,  but  confined  his 


26  THE   CHEZZLES. 

remarks  on  the  subject  to  speculations  as  to 
what  he  was  going  to  buy  with  the  enormous 
sum  he  expected  to  realize  from  whales. 

One  day  he  took  a  party  of  city  boarders  out 
sailing,  and,  as  he  expected  to  be  away  longer 
than  usual,  arranged  with  the  boys  that  they 
were  to  go  nowhere  except  to  the  marsh  to 
play,  and  to  Mrs.  Tuckit's,  where  they  were 
invited  to  have  tea.  They  were  delighted  with 
the  prospect  of  a  visit  to  the  Tuckit  children, 
and  took  two  tin  pails  to  Gull  Marsh  with  them, 
intending  to  fill  them  with  raspberries  for  Elva 
Tuckit,  a  demure,  housewifely  little  girl  of 
thirteen,  who  was  a  great  favorite  and  care- 
taker among  children  generally. 

The  whale-trap  consisted  of  two  stakes  on 
each  side  of  a  narrow  creek  separating  two  bits 
of  the  marsh  which  were  on  a  higher  level 
than  the  rest,  and  connecting  the  main  water 
with  a  sort  of  inner  bay  which  was  only  filled 
at  high  tide.  The  stakes  were  driven  just 
near  enough  together  to  hold  three  planks, 
one  above  another,  across  the  creek.  Challey 
and  Bob  could  never  have  driven  in  the 
stakes,  or  dragged  the  planks  from  an  old,  dis- 
used pier  close  at  hand,  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  help  of  Alex  Tuckit,  who  was  a  strong, 
overgrown  boy  of  about  eleven,  and  Crissy 


THE   CHEZZLES.  27 

Jones,  a  tough  little  fellow  of  the  same  age  as 
Challey. 

Their  idea  was,  that,  when  the  whale  came 
into  shoal  water,  which  he  could  only  do  at 
high  tide,  he  must  swim  through  the  creek  into 
the  inner  bay,  and  then  they  would  put  the 
planks  up  between  the  stakes,  the  tide  would 
go  out,  and  there  the  whale  would  be,  high 
and  dry,  on  the  marsh,  all  ready  for  Captain 
Pepper ! 

So,  every  day  when  it  was  possible  they  went 
jto  examine  the  trap  at  high  tide  to  see  whether 
the  whale  had  done  what  was  expected  of  him. 
To-day  the  tide  was  rising,  but  Challey  said  it 
was  not  high  enough  yet  for  whales,  and  pro- 
posed that  they  should  gather  berries  while 
they  were  waiting.  They  wandered  along  a 
grassy  road  which  led  westward  through  a  wil- 
derness of  woods  and  underbrush,  filling  their 
pails  slowly  because  of  the  butterflies,  bugs, 
caterpillars,  birds'-nests,  and  wild  flowers  which 
attracted  their  attention. 

"  It  'd  be  easy  enough  to  pick  a  million 
quarts,"  Bob  said,  "  if  it  was  n't  for  the  "  — 

"  The  what?  "  asked  Challey,  turning  to  see 
why  Bob  stopped  suddenly. 

A  low,  strange  cry  sounded  from  a  little 
distance. 


28  THE  CHEZZLES. 

Bob  went  and  stood  by  Challey.  Looking 
up  to  him  with  startled  eyes,  he  whispered  : 
t(  It 's  Indians  !  Don't  you  wish  we  had  our 
bows  and  arrows  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  hark  !  "  said  Challey,  putting  his 
arm  over  Bob's  shoulders  and  drawing  him 
closer. 

Another  wail  sounded,  louder  than  the  last 
—  long  and  strangely  piteous. 

"  We  can't  fight  Indians  with  tin  pails !  " 
whispered  Bob. 

"  No,"  said  Challey  ;  "  and  we  have  n't  got. 
anything  to  t-trade  with,  either  !     D-d-don't  be 
f-f-f  rightened,  Bob  !  We  '11  promise  him  our  "  — 

Another  cry  !  Wilder,  and  broken,  like  no 
sound  the  children  had  ever  heard.  Bob  said 
softly  :  "  We  have  n't  our  bows  and  arrows, 
Challey,  so  we  can't  kill  him,  and  /  say.  let 's 
hide !  " 

Bob  had  never  before  been  afraid  of  any- 
thing. His  suggestion  was  a  good  one,  and  in 
an  instant  they  were  both  flat  down  in  the 
underbrush. 

Challey  was  pale  with  fright,  but  he  was  not 
a  coward.  He  put  himself  in  front  of  Bob, 
and,  turning  his  head,  said  in  a  whisper : 

"  Bob  —  I  suppose  he  '11  scalp  both  of  us  ; 
but  I  'm  the  biggest,  and  he  's  got  to  do  me 
first!" 


THE  CHEZZLES.  29 

"  No,  he  shan't,  Challey  !  "  said  Bob,  stoutly. 
"If  he  finds  us,  I  'm  going  to  jump  on  his  back 
and  squeeze  my  arms  tight  around  his  head  so 
he  can't  see,  and  —  Ya-ah  !  "  he  screamed,  for 
another  cry  interrupted  him  —  a  hopeless, 
helpless  cry  this  time,  but  unmistakably  from  a 
child,  and  accompanied  by  the  sound  of  feet 
crackling  through  the  bushes. 

"  He  's  scalping  some  child  now,  Bob  !  " 
cried  Challey,  in  a  ghastly  whisper  ;  "  we  must 
fight  him.  Ho-o-oh  ! "  he  yelled  with  all  his 
rnighjt,  and  scrambled  upon  his  feet,  Bob  fol- 
lowing suit,  of  course. 

They  gave  one  mighty  yell  together,  and, 
standing  shoulder  to  shoulder,  glared  into  the 
woods  whence  the  sounds  came. 

Crackle,  crackle,  came  the  tread  of  feet, 
and  just  ahead  of  them,  down  the  path,  the 
bushes  parted  —  two  small,  white  hands  pushed 
through  the  leaves  and  made  an  opening  for 
a  little  girl  not  more  than  five  years  old,  hat- 
less,  with  brown  hair  all  tangled,  tears  stream- 
ing down  her  cheeks,  and  sobbing  out  the  piti- 
ful, strange  cries  the  boys  had  heard.  There 
was  no  Indian,  no  other  person.  With  a  shout 
of  relief  both  boys  stepped  out  of  the  under- 
brush into  the  road,  and  Challey  called  to  the 
little  girl : 


30  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"Hallo!  are  you  lost?" 

Drawing  in  her  breath,  the  child  prepared  to 
wail  once  more,  when  her  eye  lighted  upon  the 
children.  She  gave  a  cry,  sudden  and  piercing, 
ran  to  Challey,  and  throwing  her  arms  around 
him,  looked,  her  face  all  alive  with  joy  now, 
first  at  him  and  then  at  Bob. 

"  What 's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Challey. 

"  What  did  you  make  such  queer  noises 
for  ? "  asked  Bob.  "  Did  you  see  an  In- 
dian ?  " 

The  little  one  let  go  of  Challey,  put  her 
finger  on  her  mouth,  and  shook  her  head. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  did  n't,"  said  Challey.  "  But 
you  made  such  a  noise,  we  thought  you  were 
being  scalped.  Where  do  you  live  ?  How  did 
you  get  lost  ?  " 

The  little  girl  took  no  notice  of  him.  She 
was  watching  Bob  eat  raspberries  out  of  his 
pail. 

"  Come  on  ;  let  's  go  back  to  the  marsh. 
Do  you  want  to  see  our  whale-trap  ?  "  asked 
Challey. 

Still  she  took  no  notice  of  him,  but  leaned 
forward,  touched  Bob  to  make  him  look  at 
her,  curled  her  left  arm  around  an  imaginary 
pail,  pretended  to  eat  berries  from  it,  and  then 
stretched  her  hand  out  for  some. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  31 

"  Here  ! "  said  Challey,  putting  his  pail  into 
her  hands,  "  you  can  have  mine  ;  but  I  don't 
see  why  you  don't  speak." 

She  clasped  the  pail  in  one  hand  and  kissed 
the  other  to  him  several  times  before  she  began 
eating  the  berries,  which  she  did  eagerly,  and 
not  stopping  until  they  were  all  gone,  when  she 
turned  the  pail  upside  down  to  show  that  it 
was  empty,  returned  it  to  Challey,  and  kissed 
her  hand  to  him  again. 

He  rather  sheepishly  kissed  his  hand  to  her 
in  return.  She  was  certainly  the  strangest  lit- 
tle girl  they  had  ever  seen. 

"  Why  don't  she  talk  ?  "  asked  Bob. 

"  Maybe  she  's  French  !  "  said  Challey,  and, 
struck  by  the  idea,  he  said  : 

"  Polly-voo  Frongsay  ?  "  But  she  took  no 
notice.  She  only  reached  to  take  hold  of  his 
hand,  closing  her  little  fingers  tight  over  it,  as 
if  she  did  not  mean  to  let  go. 

"  Let  me  try,"  said  Bob,  and,  planting  him- 
self before  her,  he  bent  his  face  to  the  level  of 
hers,  and  shouted : 

"  Pol-le-e-e  voo  Fr-rong-sa-ay  ?  " 

All  she  did  was  to  smile,  pat  her  mouth 
several  times,  and  shake  her  head. 

"  She  is  n't  French,"  said  ChaUey. 

"  It 's  lucky  she  is  n't,"  said  Bob,  "  because 


32  THE   CHEZZLES. 

that  's  all  the  French  we  know,  Challey,  except 
f  Donny-moy  doo  burr  seel  voo  play,'  and  she 
has  n't  got  any  butter  to  ask  for,  and  nobody  'd 
want  to  say  that  out  in  the  woods,  anyhow ; " 
and  Bob  said  he  "  gave  up." 

Challey  had  one  more  thought,  but  he  was 
too  polite  to  mention  it.  He  had  often  heard 
people  say  of  himself  and  Bob,  when  they  were 
bashful  and  silent,  "  He  must  have  lost  his 
tongue."  And  now  it  occurred  to  him  that 
perhaps  such  a  calamity  did  really  afflict  the  hu- 
man race  sometimes,  and  that  perhaps  the  little 
girl  had  lost  hers.  At  any  rate,  she  was  hold- 
ing fast  to  his  hand  in  a  very  pretty  way,  strok- 
ing it,  and  laying  her  cheek  against  it,  and 
there  was  a  vague  something  about  her  which 
made  her  seem  very  helpless  and  roused  his 
compassion.  So  he  answered  the  pressure  of 
her  hands,  and  said  to  Bob : 

"  Well,  anyhow,  she  does  n't  want  to  talk, 
or  she  can't,  and  she  likes  us,  so  we  '11  take 
care  of  her.  Come  on  !  "  and  he  led  the  way 
to  the  marsh. 

"  That 's  so,"  said  Bob.  "  I  guess  she 's  some 
language  we  don't  know." 

So  they  went  back  to  the  shore,  gathering- 
berries  occasionally  and  offering  them  to  her, 
and  by  the  time  they  reached  their  whale-trap, 


THE   CHEZZLES.  33 

they  had  learned,  as  children  do,  to  adapt  them- 
selves to  her.  She  would  not  speak  a  word, 
but  her  eyes  —  they  were  the  very  brightest, 
loveliest  eyes  Challey  thought  he  had  ever  seen 
—  her  eyes  caught  every  motion.  And  it  was 
impossible  not  to  notice  how  she  used  her 
hands  and  arms.  She  waved  one  about  con- 
tinually, in  an  infinite  variety  of  gestures. 
Sometimes  she  let  go  of  Challey 's  hand  to  wave 
both,  now  slowly,  now  very  rapidly,  or  again 
held  for  an  instant  in  some  significant  pose. 

"  It  looks  as  if  she  was  dancing  with  her 
arms,  instead  of  her  feet,"  Bob  said.  Once  in 
a  while  the  boys  understood  her  :  as  when- 
ever they  offered  her  anything,  or  when  Chal- 
ley helped  her  over  a  fence  or  wet  places. 
Then  she  invariably  kissed  her  hand. 

"  So,"  Challey  said :  "  she  's  polite,  even  if 
she  does  n't  speak,  for  she  means  'thank 
you.'  " 

The  shadows  were  long  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  shore,  the  sun  was  low  and  shone 
on  the  sails  of  a  dozen  fishing-boats  coming 
home  on  the  same  tack. 

Standing  with  their  backs  to  the  sun,  the 
water  looked  silvery  to  the  children,  and  the 
scene  before  them  was  like  a  vision.  But  they 
did  not  think  of  it ;  they  only  watched  a  flock 


34  THE   CHEZZLES. 

of  gulls  rising  from  the  marsh.  At  least  the 
little  girl  did,  for  the  boys  were  watching  her 
while  she  spread  out  her  arms  as  far  as  they 
could  reach  on  each  side,  and  moved  them 
slowly  up  and  down  with  wonderful  grace. 

"  She  means  their  wings,"  said  Bob  ;  and  he 
and  Challey  smiled  at  each  other,  for  she  was 
more  beautiful  than  the  birds  when  she  did  that. 

Slowly,  more  slowly,  her  dreamy  eyes  fol- 
lowing the  birds,  she  moved  her  arms  until, 
holding  them  straight  up,  as  high  as  she  could 
reach,  they  were  quite  still  for  a  few  seconds,  — 
all  but  her  hands,  which  waved  upward  once 
and  rested,  pointing  to  the  sky. 

"  Yes,"  said  Challey,  delighted  ;  "  she  means 
they  are  out  of  sight,  and  she  thinks  they  have 
gone  into  the  sky  !  " 

The  boys  did  not  care  for  the  gulls,  but 
they  could  not  help  watching  the  little  girl. 
She  trod  lightly  here  and  there,  her  face,  so 
innocent  and  pure,  turning  which  way  the 
birds  appeared ;  and  the  boys  could  tell  by  her 
motions  when  the  birds  came,  how  they  flew  in 
long  curves,  and  disappeared,  or  came  again. 

By  and  by  she  pointed  to  the  water,  where 
she  spied  something  moving.  "  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  ! 
It 's  the  whale  !  "  screamed  Bob,  the  quickest 
to  see  j  and  sure  enough,  there  was  a  great  fin 


THE   CHEZZLES.  35 

sticking  out  of  the  water  and  moving  in  rapid 
sweeps,  leaving  a  long  wake  behind. 

In  a  second  Bob  was  standing,  knee-deep,  by 
the  stakes,  grasping  the  end  of  a  plank. 

"  Now,  if  it  only  swims  through  !  "  he  cried. 
But  the  creature  had  no  such  intention. 

There  was  a  most  determined,  sturdy  look 
about  Bob's  legs  while  he  struggled  and  waded, 
straddled  and  tugged  at  his  plank. 

Challey  was  at  the  other  end  of  it,  and  they 
would  certainly  have  waited  much  longer,  in 
the  hope  that  the  fish  would  reappear,  if  they 
had  been  alone. 

But  the  little  girl  beckoned  to  them,  and 
they  had  to  join  her  because  of  that  irresistible 
something  which  made  them  wish  to  do  what- 
ever she  wanted  of  them. 

So  they  led  her  home  to  Mrs.  Tuckit's,  and 
begged  that  she,  too,  might  stay  to  tea. 

"  Deary  me  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Tuckit,  putting 
her  baby  down  to  catch  the  little  girl  up  in  her 
arms.  "  It  's  'Lisha  Barnes's  poor  little  tor- 
shent !  Run,  Alex,  and  tell  her  mother  she  's 
all  safe !  Uncle  Zenas's  boys  have  found  her 
and  brought  her  home  !  There  's  been  such  a 
scare  about  her,  — poor,  blessed  lamb  !  " 

How  could  Captain  Pepper  know  that  the 
boys'  story  about  the  whale  had  anything  in  it, 


36  THE   CHEZZLES. 

when  they  insisted  at  night,  while  he  was  put- 
ting them  to  bed,  that  they  had  found  a  little 
girl  in  the  woods  whom  the  Indians  were  going 
to  scalp  ? 

"  At  any  rate,"  Challey  said,  "  she  could  n't 
talk,  and  I  do  believe  "  —  he  drew  near  to  Cap- 
tain Pepper  to  say  in  a  low,  awe-stricken  tone, 
"  I  do  believe  she  has  really  lost  her  tongue, 
and  I  thought  maybe  the  Indians  "  — 

But  the  captain  roared,  and  cried :  "  Bless 
your  heart,  no !  Why,  that  was  Shirley  Barnes's 
little  sister.  She 's  got  the  doom  o'  silence  on 
her." 

"Mrs.  Tuckit  called  her  something  like  a 
torch,"  said  Challey,  who  was  very  much 
puzzled. 

"  Torshent,1  child,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  don't 
you  know  what  that  is  ?  Why,  it 's  the  young- 
est of  the  family.  Benjamin,  in  the  Bible, 
was  his  father's  torshent,  and  Bob  there  is  your 
father's  torshent,  and  the  little  Barnes  girl  is 
her  father's ;  every  one  in  Nipsit  calls  her 
little  Torsh  Barnes." 

"  Did  you  say  she  had  on  a  dume,  Captain 
Pepper  ?  "  asked  Challey.  "  She  had  n't  any 
hat  on  ;  what  is  a  dume  ?  " 

1  A  word  much  in  use  on  Cape  Cod,  meaning  the  youngest 
member  of  a  family. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  37 

"  She 's  got  the  doom  o'  silence,"  answered 
the  captain.  "  She  was  born  with  it.  She 
could  n't  hear  the  elements  roar,  and  she  won't 
be  able  to  speak  until  kingdom  come !  " 

"  What 's  her  name  ?  "  asked  Bob.  "  Why, 
it 's  —  it 's  —  Land  o'  lubbers,  what  boys 
you  are  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain.  "  I  never 
thought  of  her  name  before.  If  she 's  got 
any,  she  don't  know  what  it  is,  poor  little 
Torsh !  And  if  it  ain't  any  use  to  her,  what 
does  anybody  else  want  with  it  ?  " 

Challey  was  very  quiet  until  bedtime,  with 
the  little  mute  to  think  about,  but  Bob  wrote 
to  his  father : 

DEER  PAPA,  We  found  a  torshunt  close 
by  Gull  Marsh  where  the  wale  is  an'  it  be- 
longed to  Capen  Barns  an'  it  can't  do  anything 
eckcep  jabber  nor  it  can't  hear  a  ellyfunt  rore. 
But  it  likes  us  an  we  ar  going  to  take  it  to 
Gull  Marsh  every  day  wen  its  hi  tide. 

The  End.  . 

ROBERT  HUNTINGDON  CHEZZLE. 


41 


HOW  THE  FRENCH  DOCTORS  FRIGHTENED  MRS.  CHEZZLK, 
AND  HOW  HER  ARRIVAL  AT  HER  BROTHER'S  HOUSE  DE- 
LIGHTED LITTLE  MARIA  ANTOINETTE  PENROY. 

MR.  THOMAS  PENROY  was  full  fifteen  years 
older  than  his  sister,  Mrs.  John  Chezzle. 
He  had  left  America  before  she  was  as  old 
as  her  son  Bob,  and,  consequently,  she  did  not 
remember  him.  In  her  young  school -days 
she  had  heard  her  father  and  mother  talk 
about  him  as  a  roving,  eccentric  fellow,  who 
was  sure  never  to  be  very  prosperous.  He 
could  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  they 
thought ;  but  when  a  short  letter  came,  an- 
nouncing that  he  had  married  a  poor  orphan 
French  girl  without  a  penny,  they  were  much 
troubled  lest  he  would  never  be  able  to  make 
a  living  for  two  people.  His  letters  -were 
very  short,  and  written  at  long  intervals.  By 
the  time  one  came,  mentioning  the  birth  of  a 


THE  CHEZZLES.  39 

daughter,  his  father  was  no  longer  living.  And 
the  letter  which  he  wrote  a  few  years  later,  tell- 
ing of  the  death  of  his  wife,  never  reached  its 
destination.  Then  his  mother  had  died.  His 
sister  had  married  Mr.  Chezzle,  dwelling-places 
were  changed  on  both  sides  of  the  water,  ad- 
dresses lost,  and  no  more  letters  were  written. 

It  was  five  years  since  Mrs.  Chezzle  had 
heard  anything  of  her  brother  "  Tom,"  as  she 
had  always  heard  him  called,  and  now  she  was 
summoned  to  his  bedside,  only  to  see  him  die, 
—  a  sad,  bewildering  summons,  relieved  only 
by  the  thought  of  his  little  girl  whom  she  was 
going  to  befriend. 

Thinking,  all  through  her  long  journey,  of 
finding  both  father  and  child  poorly  provided 
for,  busying  her  motherly  genius  with  plans 
for  relieving  them,  what  was  her  surprise  when 
she  was  met  at  Havre  by  an  elegant-looking 
gentleman  wrho  introduced  himself  as  M.  The- 
ophile  Roubaix,  her  brother's  lawyer,  and  con- 
ducted her  in  the  most  luxurious  manner  pos- 
sible to  a  house  which  was,  in  her  eyes,  a  very 
palace  !  The  beauty  of  its  surroundings,  its 
gardens,  the  elegance  of  the  apartments  as- 
signed to  her,  dazed  her  completely  for  awhile. 


40  THE   CHEZZLES. 

MAU,  June  18. 

Of  course  I  am  going  to  write  a  journal 
(she  wrote  to  her  husband  a  day  or  two  after 
her  arrival).  Who  would  n't,  finding  one's  self, 
as  I  do,  suddenly  set  down  in  the  midst  of  a 
story?  I  expected  to  find  my  brother  in  some 
poverty-stricken  little  cottage,  and  I  find  him 
in  a  palace !  I  was  prepared  to  assume  the 
heaviest  burdens,  the  gravest  responsibility  — 
to  be  ready,  day  or  night,  for  the  most  exhaust- 
ing labor  of  nursing.  Instead  of  all  that  I 
find  myself  treated  like  a  queen,  with  every 
luxury  and  a  host  of  servants  at  my  command. 
My  brother  is  under  the  care  of  eminent  phy- 
sicians (so  I  should  judge  after  a  talk  of  half 
an  hour  with  one  of  them),  who  superintend 
everything  in  the  sick-room.  He  has  also  a 
most  accomplished  attendant. 

I  could  not  help  crying  when  I  was  with 
the  doctor ;  for  although  a  stranger  to  me, 
Thomas  Penroy  is  my  brother,  and  he  is  dy- 
ing !  My  French  was  not  only  very  rusty,  but 
mixed  with  sobs,  and  I  don't  know  how  much 
of  it  the  gentleman  understood.  But  I  man- 
aged to  gather  from  him  that  poor  Tom  would 
probably  linger  some  weeks,  perhaps  a  month 
or  two,  so  I  shall  not  try  to  see  him  until  he 
sends  for  me. 


THE  CHEZZLES.  41 

But  I  have  seen  Maria.  When  I  arrived  she 
was  out  with  her  governess,  and  did  not  return 
for  full  two  hours.  Then  she  was  smuggled 
into  the  house,  and  had  her  dinner  without  my 
knowing  it,  for  the  housekeeper  and  governess 
together  were  bent  upon  making  an  imposing 
ceremony  of  the  child's  presentation  to  her 
aunt,  and  she  was  to  be  dressed  in  her  finest 
gown  for  the  occasion. 

N.  B.  They  had  not  seen  me  when  they 
arranged  it  all,  and  did  not  know  of  certain 
old  gowns  in  my  trunk,  brought  to  be  cut 
down  and  made  over  for  my  niece  !  Imagine 
their  French  noses,  if  they  had  ! 

But  Maria  got  the  better  of  them.  I  was 
kneeling  before  one  of  my  trunks  when  I  heard 
a  sound,  and  turning,  saw  in  the  doorway  a 
little  girl  in  her  petticoats,  with  a  pale,  wee 
face,  and  a  cloud  of  red-gold  hair,  holding  aside 
a  curtain  and  peering  at  me  wistfully. 

I  had  been  bewildered  until  then,  but  the 
sight  of  her  restored  me,  for  I  knew  it  was 
Maria.  And  I  knew  that  she  had  no  mother, 
and  would  soon  have  no  father.  Was  there 
any  need  of  knowing  more?  All  in  a  mo- 
ment, as  I  held  out  my  arms  to  her,  my  own 
home,  with  you  and  the  children  in  it,  seemed 
like  the  real  palace,  while  this,  with  all  its 


42  THE   CHEZZLES. 

grandeur  and  the  one  little  orphan,  seemed 
desolate ! 

Maria  looked  doubtful  for  a  moment,  but  I 
told  her  that  I  had  two  dear  little  boys  at  home, 
far  away,  and  that  the  sight  of  her  made  me 
long  to  see  them  ;  would  she  not  come  to  me  ? 
Then  she  ran  to  me,  clasped  her  arms  around 
me,  and  would  not  let  me  go. 

The  maid  looked  cross  enough  when  she 
came,  in  answer  to  my  bell,  and  discovered 
Maria,  for  whom  she  had  been  searching.  But 
she  looked  crosser  still  when  I  told  her  I  would 
finish  dressing  the  child  myself,  and  bade  her 
bring  the  necessary  things  to  my  room.  If  I 
had  given  her  a  chance  to  think  about  it,  I 
don't  believe  she  would  have  obeyed  me. 

June  19.  Since  then  Maria  does  not  like  to 
lose  sight  of  me  at  all,  and  as  she  needs  me 
more  than  anybody  else  does,  I  have  her  with 
me  almost  constantly. 

Tom  sent  for  me  this  morning.  It  seemed 
very  strange  to  sit  by  his  bed  and  realize  that 
the  man  lying  there,  with  a  white  face,  brown 
hair  and  beard,  was  my  own  brother.  He 
looked  at  me  with  his  steady,  penetrating,  dark 
eyes,  as  if  he  could  find  out  everything  I 
had  ever  thought  in  my  life.  Then  he  said 
suddenly  to  his  attendant,  "  Send  for  Mile. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  43 

Maria,"  and  watched  the  door  until  she  came. 
She  hurried  to  him,  kissed  him  half  a  dozen 
times,  and  I  saw  that  nothing  in  the  world  was 
of  any  importance  to  him  compared  with  her. 
"  That  '11  do,"  he  said,  faintly,  as  if  he  was 
tired,  and  Maria,  moving  back,  nestled  herself 
against  me.  He  looked  at  us  for  a  little  while, 
as  I  stroked  her  hair,  then,  in  a  much  stronger, 
firmer  tone,  said,  "  And  that  will  do,  too  !  " 

I  thought  he  was  annoyed  at  seeing  how 
familiar  we  had  grown,  but  Maria  understood 
him  better,  and,  laughing,  hugged  me  at  once. 

"  Will  you  go  to  heaven  to-day,  then,  papa  ?  " 
she  asked  him  in  French,  quite  cheerfully. 

"  No,"  he  answered,  "  I  shall  not  have 
time  !  "  which  was  certainly  a  singular  remark 
for  a  dying  man  to  make.  "  Go  away  now, 
my  child,"  he  added,  "  and  send  Mme.  Toule- 
son  to  me."  The  child  obeyed  and  went. 
Then  Tom  held  his  hand  out  to  me,  and  said : 
"  You  are  a  good  girl  to  have  come,  Helen, 
and  your  husband  is  a  clever  fellow,  or  he 
would  not  have  let  you.  I  wanted  to  see  if 
Maria  took  to  you  —  that  is  all."  I  began  to 
say  something,  but  he  repeated,  "  That  is 
all  ! "  and  did  not  speak  again  until  Mme. 
Touleson,  the  housekeeper,  entered.  I  had 
only  seen  her  once  before,  but  she  had  made 


44  THE   CHEZZLES. 

me  feel,  somehow,  that  my  clothes  were  cheap, 
and  I  was  so  sure  that  she  would  detect  the  least 
mistake  I  might  make  in  speaking  her  language 
(she  does  not  speak  or  understand  a  word  of  any 
other)  that  I  forgot,  in  her  presence,  all  the 
French  I  ever  knew,  and  bungled  frightfully. 

"  What  is  it  that  Monsieur  will  give  me  the 
extreme  pleasure  of  doing  for  him  ? "  she 
asked,  looking  as  if  it  would  not  be  worth 
while  for  me  to  try  to  understand.  A  blow  could 
not  have  startled  me  more  than  his  answer : 

"  I  wish  the  keys  given  to  my  sister,  Mrs. 
Chezzle.  She  will  now  be  the  mistress  of  my 
house,  and  everybody  in  it  will  obey  her !  " 
Then,  turning  his  head  toward  his  attendant, 
he  said  :  "  Antoine,  go  with  Mme.  Touleson 
to  get  the  keys,  and  bring  them  to  me  at 
once  !  " 

Mme.  Touleson  was  about  to  speak,  but  Tom 
silenced  her  by  a  motion  of  his  hand,  and  she 
left  the  room.  Antoine  returned  with  the  keys, 
which  he  handed  to  me  on  a  little  silver  tray. 

Tom  was  very  much  exhausted,  so  I  left  him 
in  a  few  moments.  Of  course  I  went  to  Mme. 
Touleson  immediately.  I  expected  to  find  her 
hurt  and  angry,  but  they  all  seem  to  under- 
stand Tom,  and  she  told  me,  besides,  that 
"  Monsieur  Pennaroi "  had  explained  to  her,  a 


THE   CHEZZLES.  45 

month  ago,  that  I  was  coming  to  take  command 
of  everything.  So  I  only  found  her  dignified 
and  stiff,  anxious  to  help  me  discover  that,  in 
the  arrival  of  the  sister  of  Mr.  Penroy,  the 
people  of  the  house  had  expected  a  grand  lady, 
with  an  American  maid,  "  and  perhaps  a  few 
little  negres  as  her  attendants  !  But,"  she 
said,  in  her  most  formal  French,  "  Madame  has 
come  alone,  without  even  a  train  to  her  gown, 
or  so  much  as  two  poor  little  diamonds  in  her 
ears,  and  she  is  "  — 

"  Nevertheless,  she  is  the  sister  of  Mr.  Pen- 
roy !  "  I  thought  fit  to  say,  in  my  clearest  and 
most  distinct  tones,  looking  straight  into  her 
eyes.  I  was  pleased  to  see  her  embarrassed, 
and,  saying  simply  that  I  would  like  her  to 
come  to  my  parlor  in  an  hour,  I  left  her,  afraid 
that  I  should  feel  sorry  and  apologize  if  I 
stayed  any  longer. 

Poor  Tom  !  Is  n't  it  pitiful  that  he  should 
not  have  realized  until  now,  when  he  is  dying, 
that  it  is  good  to  have  somebody  near  who  really 
belongs  to  him  ? 

June  20.  Mme.  Touleson  came  to  me  at 
the  appointed  hour,  as  polite  and  deferential 
as  possible.  It  suited  me  very  well  to  grant 
her  desire  to  delay  her  departure  for  a  few 
days,  as  it  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  learn  the 


46  THE   CHEZZLES. 

ways  of  the  house.  She  must  have  reported 
me  to  the  servants  as  a  dragon,  or  at  least  a 
worthy  person,  in  spite  of  the  absence  of  a 
train  and  diamond  ear-rings,  for  they  are  all 
respectful  and  anxious  to  please  me. 

June  21.  I  am  settling  down  into  a  place 
of  my  own  here,  and,  without  any  conceit,  I 
believe  my  presence  is  acceptable.  Maria  is 
my  shadow.  I  have  had  my  parlor  and  sleep- 
ing-room change  furniture  with  each  other,  so 
that  now  her  bedroom  opens  into  mine,  and 
she  is  so  happy  that  her  face  has  lost  already 
the  intensely  wistful  look  which  was  painful  to 
see.  Tom  looks  happier  too.  But  he  is  cer- 
tainly very  strange.  He  is  under  the  care  of 
two  doctors  who  hold  consultations  in  the  li- 
brary, and  come,  one  or  both,  every  day.  I 
cannot  learn  what  is  the  matter  with  him,  for 
when  I  ask,  they  use  so  many  scientific  terms 
that  I  should  need  both  the  French  and  Eng- 
lish dictionaries  in  order  to  understand  them. 
But  they  assure  me  that  he  cannot  survive  the 
summer. 

He  has  made  every  arrangement  for  his 
death,  and  the  event  is  spoken  of  with  perfect 
freedom.  "  Quand  Monsieur  sera  mort" 
this  or  that  will  take  place,  and  the  phrase 
is  so  common  that  I  am  getting  used  to  it  my- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  47 

self.  Every  morning  he  sends  for  Maria  and 
me,  and  she  is  as  likely  as  not  to  ask  him  if  he 
is  going  to  heaven  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
just  as  our  boys  ask  you  if  you  are  going  to 
the  office. 

He  is  certainly  very  ill.  We  step  about  in 
the  quietest  way,  and  all  wear  soft  slippers,  for 
he  notices  every  sound. 

June  23.  During  most  of  the  year  Maria 
has  teachers  enough  to  supply  an  academy,  but 
as  this  is  vacation,  she  has  only  a  music  teacher 
to  sit  with  her  at  the  piano  an  hour  every  day 
in  the  room  which  is  called  her  study,  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  apartments  her  father  occu- 
pies. She  is  very  fond  of  music,  and  now 
that  I  take  my  work  and  sit  by  during  her 
practicing  hour,  she  enjoys  it  immensely. 

She  is  also  anxious  to  speak  English,  since  it 
is  my  language  and  that  of  her  cousins,  Chal- 
ley  and  Bob,  about  whom  she  questions  me  in- 
terminably. Tom  rarely  speaks  anything  but 
French  to  her.  But  her  talent  for  languages 
is  small,  and  she  has  fixed  upon  the  letters  of 
our  boys  as  her  standard  of  perfection  !  She 
was  with  me  yesterday  when  their  first  letters 
came,  and  it  was  funny  to  watch  her  and  hear 
her  comments  as  I  read  them.  I  began  with 
Challey's. 


48  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  c  June  15.  It  is  just  high  tide  sailing  afore 
the  wind  to  be  at  Captain  Pepper's.' ' 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Maria,  in  French  ;  "  are  they 
in  a  boat  ?  " 

I  explained  what  Challey  meant,  and  she 
was  so  delighted  that  I  had  to  repeat  the  phrase 
several  times.  Then  I  went  on :  "  We  haul 
down  sails  every  night.  The  captain's  bunk  is 
in  the  little  room  aft  ours.  Satterday  night  we 
had  a  hurrycane  out  at  sea  in  two  tubs.  Cap- 
tain Pepper  skowered  us  and  its  grate  fun.  We 
skrub  in  one  tub  and  rench  off  in  the  other. 
We  have  to  ware  biled  shirts  on  Sunday  but 
Mrs.  Tuckit  has  to  histe  our  colors  becaus 
Captain  Pepper  says  he  wuoulde  rather  rassel 
with  a  Pirate  than  tie  boze." 

"  Please,  chere  Tante,  what  is  '  biled  '  and  to 
(  h-h-hysste  couleur '  ?  "  asked  Maria. 

"  The  boys  wear  dark  flannel  shirts  all  the 
week,"  I  answered,  "  but  put  on  starched  linen 
ones  on  Sunday,  and  I  suppose  hoisting  their 
colors  means  putting  on  their  neckties." 

"  Oh,  that  is  beautiful !  "  exclaimed  Maria, 
and  I  had  to  let  her  repeat,  "  biled "  and 
"  hyste  the  couleurs  "  many  tunes.  I  read  on  : 
"  The  captain  makes  us  skore  up  the  log  books 
on  Sunday  and  that  means  taking  turns  ritiiig 
to  you  and  papa  so  Bob  is  riting  to  papa. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  49 

The  Captain  says  to  give  you  his  dooty  and  tell 
you  we  are  as  well  as  bluefish  and  he  can't  rite 
because  it  makes  him  purrspire  too  much. 

Good-bye 
CHARLES  TEMPLETON  PENKOY  CHEZZLE." 

Maria  was  so  delighted  that  I  imprudently 
read  her  Bob's  letter  about  the  torshunt  which 
they  found.  Imprudently,  because  she  has 
teased  me  ever  since  to  take  her  where  she  can 
see  one. 

June  24.  A  mysterious  individual  comes 
occasionally  and  works  by  himself,  sometimes 
for  a  little  while,  sometimes  for  several  hours, 
in  a  little  room  on  the  ground  floor  which  has 
an  entrance  of  its  own  from  the  garden.  That 
part  of  the  house  is  not  under  my  supervision, 
so  I  have  not  -discovered  who  he  is. 

Maria  and  I  take  our  work  when  we  make  our 
morning  visit  to  her  father,  and  it  amuses  him 
to  watch  us.  I  think  it  diverts  him  by  taking 
his  mind  from  himself.  We  are  very  quiet,  of 
course,  talking  little  and  in  low  tones,  avoiding 
whispers,  which,  I  think,  are  generally  exasper- 
ating to  an  invalid.  It  is  better  for  Tom  to 
hear  and  understand  what  we  say  than  to 
make  an  effort  to  do  either,  or  have  any 
thought  about  it.  So  we  say  what  we  please, 


50  THE   CHEZZLES. 

and  try  not  to  be  rasping.  It  looks  as  if  we 
succeeded  admirably,  too.  I  am  dressing  one 
of  Maria's  dolls  and  trying  to  teach  her  to  sew. 
She  has  been  taught  to  study  only  effect  in 
dress,  from  a  French  maid's  point  of  view ;  I 
am  setting  up  a  standard  of  neatness  and  pro- 
priety for  her,  making  the  doll's  clothes  like  a 
baby's,  dainty,  simple,  and  home-made,  not 
shoppy  or  machiney. 

Tom  watches  it  all  with  great  interest  and 
enjoys  it.  He  speaks  little,  but  likes  to  listen, 
and  is  delighted  at  any  evidence  of  Maria's 
affection  for  me.  This  morning  she  folded  the 
doll  to  her  bosom,  like  a  little  mother,  and 
said,  looking  up  to  me :  "  I  will  love  it  the 
same  way  that  you  love  me,  —  as  if  it  was  my 
child."  Tom  turned  his  face  away,  and  I  fan- 
cied he  was  thinking  sadly  of  Maria's  mother. 
I  waited  a  little  while  before  asking  if  we  tired 
him,  "  No  —  no,  never  !  "  he  answered  has- 
tily. "  Don't  go  for  a  long  time."  And  when 
Antoine  announced  the  arrival  of  the  doctor, 
he  detained  me  a  moment  to  say  :  "  You  are 
putting  healthy  ideas  into  the  child's  head, 
Nelly.  Keep  it  up  ;  I  believe  she  was  starv- 
ing for  you."  He  will  have  no  one  else 
remain  in  the  room  while  we  are  with  him, 
and  looks  disappointed  when  our  visit  is  over. 


THE  CHEZZLES.  51 

And,  really,  I  think  the  doctors  need  not  come 
so  often.  I  insist  upon  receiving  their  orders 
myself,  lying  in  wait  for  Dr.  Frediqueue,  who 
is  the  regular  physician  in  charge,  the  other, 
Dr.  De  la  Quille,  being  the  consulting  one. 
But  I  am  sure  that  all  their  conversations  in 
the  study  cannot  be  about  poor  Tom.  His 
condition  alters  so  little  from  day  to  day.  I 
am  an  ignoramus,  and  what  seems  trivial  to  me 
is  really  of  the  gravest  consequence.  For  in- 
stance, the  two  doctors  came  together  to-day 
and  were  much  disturbed  to  learn  the  fact  of 
Maria's  and  my  daily  visits,  with  our  work,  in 
Tom's  room. 

It  will  not  do  at  all,  they  say ;  and  Dr.  De  la 
Quille  said  most  decidedly  to  me  :  "  The  excite- 
ment is  excessively  dangerous  to  Monsieur,  and 
may  shorten  his  life  perceptibly."  And  then 
he  explained  something  about  the  action  of  a 
particular  chamber  of  the  brain,  but  I  could 
not  follow  him  at  all.  I  am  sorry,  and  will 
certainly  take  no  more  work  to  the  sick-room. 
We  must  also  shorten  our  visits. 

June  25.  "  Where 's  the  doU  ?  "  asked  Tom, 
the  first  thing  this  morning.  I  told  him  the 
doctors  thought  we  had  better  not  bring  oc- 
cupation of  any  kind  into  his  room,  but  he 
stopped  me  with  a  sudden  "  Nonsense  !  "  bade 


52  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Maria  bring  our  work,  and  was  impatient  until 
she  returned,  declaring  that  it  did  him  good 
to  see  something  going  on,  etc.,  etc.  I  was 
not  fortunate  in  my  way  of  objecting,  for  he 
seized  upon  a  fancy  that  my  ideas  were  the 
only  sound  ones  in  the  house,  and  was  vexed 
at  having  even  such  a  trifling  one  interfered 
with.  It  was  with  some  anxiety,  therefore, 
that  I  asked  Dr.  Frediqueue  what  I  should  do 
about  it. 

He  shook  his  head,  and  said  that  Tom's  irri- 
tability was  a  discouraging  symptom.  "  But," 
he  said,  "  Monsieur  is  too  ill  to  be  opposed,  and 
his  fantaisie  must  be  indulged.  In  effect, 
since  he  has  adopted  this  singular  caprice,  it 
is  positively  necessary  now  that  you  shoidd  not 
enter  his  room  in  the  morning  unless  you  are 
accompanied  by  both  Mademoiselle  and  her 
doll.  Do  not  omit  the  doll  upon  any  account ; 
the  result  might  be  fatal  to  Monsieur.  If 
Madame  wishes  the  life  of  her  brother  pro- 
longed, she  will  pay  strict  attention  to  this 
matter.  It  may  seem  of  no  importance  to  a 
person  who  is  ignorant  of  medical  science," 
(I  thought  he  was  looking  particularly  hard  at 
me,)  "  but  it  is  the  physician  who  has  had  the 
greatest  experience,  and  whose  knowledge  is  the 
most  profound,  —  it  is  only  the  physician  of 


THE   CHEZZLES.  53 

this  distinction,"  (he  touched  one  of  his  shirt 
studs  as  he  said  "  this,"  unconsciously,  of 
course,)  "  who  understands  the  significance  of  a 
thing  so  trifling  and  absurd  as  Mademoiselle's 
doll !  " 

Maria  appeared  in  the  study  doorway  just 
in  time  to  hear  the  closing  phrase,  her  beloved 
doll  in  her  arms  ;  luckily,  Dr.  Frediqueue  did 
not  see  her  glower  at  him  with  anger,  which 
must  have  burst  out  if  two  gentlemen  had  not 
accompanied  and  entered  the  study  with  her. 
I  disappeared  before  they  saw  me,  and  she  fol- 
lowed. But,  as  they  stood  faciiig  the  light  a 
moment,  I  had  a  full  view  of  them,  and  I  never 
saw  two  such  cross-grained,  forbidding  coun- 
tenances. Their  business  was  with  the  doctor, 
and  I  learned  that  they  were  Tom's  lawyers, 
Messieurs  Roubaix  and  Duvergne.  If  I  had 
the  naming  of  them  I  would  call  them  "  Gruffit 
and  Crusty."  I  certainly  had  not  recognized 
M.  Roubaix  as  the  affable  gentleman  who  met 
me  on  my  arrival  at  Havre. 

June  28.  The  knowledge  that  Tom  was 
really  worse  when  I  had  thought  him  better 
has  a  depressing  effect  upon  me.  I  was  so 
worried  yesterday  while  Maria  and  I  were  in 
his  room,  because  she  talked  a  little  more  than 
usual,  that  I  asked  Dr.  Frediqueue  to  come 


54  THE   CHEZZLES. 

again  in  the  evening  as  a  particular  favor  to 
me.  I  was  wrong-  to  think  that  the  doctors 

O 

came  too  often.  I  have  no  doubt  now  that 
their  extreme  watchfulness  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary. They  both  came,  although  they  had 
great  difficulty  in  arranging  their  other  profes- 
sional visits  accordingly.  They  must  stand  at 
the  head  of  the  profession,  they  have  so  many 
"  extremely  critical  cases  "  to  attend  to.  The 
evening  visit  vexed  Tom,  however,  and  they 
decided  not  to  repeat  it.  It  was  dangerous, 
they  told  me,  to  make  any  diversion  from  the 
regular  course  of  treatment.  "  Madame  means 
well,"  said  Dr.  De  la  Quille,  "  undoubtedly  ; 
but,  in  her  affliction,  she  is  incapable  of  judg- 
ing, and  must  trust  her  brother  entirely  to  our 
skill."  So  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  interfering, 
and,  if  Tom  should  be  worse,  it  would  be  my 
fault.  I  wish  the  poor  fellow  had  a  more  effi- 
cient, wiser  sister  than  I ! 

Since  Dr.  Frediqueue  explained  the  serious 
aspect  of  his  fancy  about  the  doll-dressing,  I 
am  so  worried  that  my  fingers  tremble  fearfully 
over  the  work,  and  I  am  afraid  Tom  will  per- 
ceive it.  Moreover,  he  will  insist  that  every- 
thing I  suggest  is  right.  He  would  not  listen 
to  any  criticism  of  me  when  the  doctors  annoyed 
him  by  their  visit  the  other  evening,  although 


THE   CHEZZLES.  55 

it  was  entirely  my  fault  that  they  came.  I  told 
him  so,  but  he  declared  that  I  was  perfectly 
innocent,  never  worried  him  for  a  moment,  and 
that  the  day  seemed  long  and  tiresome  when 
Maria  and  I  left  him  to  himself.  The  doctor 
consents  to  our  making  a  second  visit  this  after- 
noon, by  way  of  an  experiment,  but  I  have  told 
him  I  am  afraid,  in  my  ignorance,  that  I  will 
kill  Tom ! 

June  29.  We  make  two  visits  daily  to 
Tom's  room.  Once  more  my  stupidity  has  in- 
jured him,  I  am  positive.  On  our  first  after- 
noon visit  I  took  no  work  to  his  room,  and  gave 
Maria  a  book  to  look  at,  thinking  we  would  be 
very  quiet.  But  Tom  was  not  at  all  pleased, 
and  asked  what  we  usually  did  at  that  hour. 
I  told  him  that  when  the  weather  permitted, 
Maria  went  out,  and  unless  I  went  with  her,  I 
enjoyed  rummaging  among  his  books  in  the 
library.  Since  he  had  claimed  us  for  a  part  of 
the  afternoon,  I  said,  we  had  arranged  another 
hour  for  fresh  air  and  exercise. 

Then  he  wanted  to  know  what  interested  me 
in  the  library.  I  answered  that  it  would  be 
easier  to  say  what  did  not  interest  me  there. 
"  It  is  such  a  beguiling  room,  Tom,"  I  said, 
"that  I  don't  like  to  enter  it  unless  I  have 
at  least  an  hour  to  spare.  Where  did  you 


56  THE   CHEZZLES. 

find  that  fine  old  copy  of  '  The  Vicar  of  Wake- 
field'?" 

It  was  an  unlucky  question,  for  he  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Ah, '  The  Vicar  !'  The  good,  old  <  Vicar ! ' 
Get  it,  Nelly ;  a  page  or  two  of  '  The  Vicar  ' 
would  do  me  good  !  " 

I  had  to  get  it,  of  course,  and  he  made  me 
read  a  full  half  hour ;  and  then  I  was  so  fright- 
ened lest  it  was  doing  him  harm,  that  I  made 
an  excuse  to  stop.  The  doctors  say  he  shows 
evident  signs  of  increased  nervous  debility,  and 
they  are  more  troubled  than  ever. 

June  30.  Maria  just  startled  me  so  in  her 
father's  room,  that  I  actually  could  not  speak 
for  a  moment.  Really,  my  anxiety  makes  me 
so  nervous  now,  when  I  am  with  Tom,  that  I 
sit  purposely  where  he  cannot  see  my  face. 
The  doctors  are  so  sure  to  disapprove  of  any- 
thing which  diverts  or  excites  him  in  the  least, 
—  his  nerves,  they  say,  are  in  such  a  delicate 
state,  —  and  it  seems  as  if  everything  we  do, 
however  innocent,  excites  him  more  and  more  ! 
I  don't  know  whether  I  have  mentioned  how 
extremely  fastidious  he  is  about  everything,  es- 
pecially where  Maria  is  concerned.  I  had  de- 
cided not  to  read  her  any  more  of  the  boys' 
letters,  because  the  sailor  talk  she  had  already 


THE   CHEZZLES.  57 

picked  up  from  them  had  worried  me  ever  since 
her  father  took  her  to  task  one  day  for  using 
some  French  expression  which  he  called  com- 
monplace. "  What  would  he  think  of  my  dar- 
ling boys,  whose  one  ambition  in  that  respect 
will  inevitably  be,  for  the  next  three  months, 
to  imitate  Captain  Pepper  ?  "  I  said  to  myself. 

Well,  this  morning  Maria  went  into  ecstasies 
over  the  dress  which  I  had  just  finished  and 
allowed  her  to  put  on  her  doll.  Tom  was  de- 
lighted over  her  pleasure,  and  I  thought  the 
excitement  too  much  for  him.  So,  imagine  my 
feelings  when  Maria  looked  up  suddenly  to  me 
and  cried  joyfully,  in  English,  which  she  very 
rarely  speaks :  "  Oh,  chere  Tante,  it  is  pair- 
fecte  !  It  is  like  high-tide  sail-ing  af-fore  the 
wint !  Now  hyste  the  couleurs  !  " 

Tom  gave  a  sudden  start  and  cried  out : 
"  What  ?  What  did  you  say,  Maria  ?  Repeat 
it!" 

The  child  was  frightened,  and  stammered,  all 
in  French,  except  the  sea  terms  :  "  I  said  —  I 
said  only,  Papa,  it  was  like  to  —  to  —  like  to 
the  high-tide  sail-ing  af-fore  the  wint !  And 
I  ask  Tante  Helene  to  —  to  —  hi-hi-histe  the 
couleurs !  " 

"  And  what  does  '  hi-hi-histe  the  couleurs  ' 
mean,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  And  where 


58  THE   CHEZZLES. 

did  you  learn  such  choice  language  ? "  her 
father  asked,  waving,  me  off,  as  he  saw  me 
ready  to  explain. 

"  I  learned  it  in  the  letters  of  my  fine  cou- 
sins," said  Maria,  in  true  grammatical  form  ; 
"  and  it  means  to  say  —  '  hi-i-iste  the  couleurs  ' 
put  the  necktie  onto  the  neck  of  my  cousin 
Shall-lee." 

Tom  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  He 
laughed  again  and  again,  and  asked  the  child 
to  repeat  it.  He  insisted  also  that  I  should 
take  the  letters  with  me  to  read  to  him  this 
afternoon.  "  Why,  Tom,"  I  said,  "  I  thought 
you  were  so  anxious  about  Maria's  learning 
anything  commonplace,  that  I  was  repenting 
having  read  them  to  her,  and  vowing  not  to  do 
so  any  more  !  " 

"  How  can  you  deny  such  a  pleasure  to  my 
offspring,  Helen  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Common- 
place ?  I  call  those  expressions  anything  but 
that ;  they  are  very  choice,  —  very  choice  in- 
deed, Maria,  my  child  !  " 

And  he  called  me  back,  as  we  were  leav- 
ing him,  to  say,  confidentially  :  "  What  she 
gets  from  common  people  is  commonp/ace, 
Nelly ;  but  let  her  get  anything  from  your 
children  she  can  which  creates  a  personal  in- 
terest in  them.  She  has  not  too  many  to  love, 


THE   CHEZZLES.  59 

poor  child !  I  want  her  to  love  her  cousins 
and  "  — 

He  coughed  and  broke  off  suddenly,  saying, 
in  his  tone  of  pleasantry  again  :  "  The  expres- 
sions are  decidedly  choice,  my  dear.  I  don't 
think  her  teachers  have  taught  her  anything 
more  so !  I  enjoyed  them  quite  as  much  as 
Goldsmith.  Bring  '  The  Vicar  '  along  again 
this  afternoon." 

I  had  to  say  I  would,  but  I  'm  worried  to 
death  at  his  getting  so  roused.  What  will  the 
doctors  say  ? 


IV. 


MOLLY  DOLAN  TAKES  MB.  CHEZZLE'S  CLEAN  CLOTHES 
HOME  ON  TOP  OP1  A  CHERRY  PIE,  AND  MAKES  THE 
MACKSBYS'  COOK  UNHAPPY  BY  CLEARING  OUT  THE 
TUBS  AND  MENDING  THE  CLOTHES  -  WRINGER  FOR 
HER. 

I 

ABOUT  a  week  after  Mrs.  Chezzle's  depart- 
ure, her  husband  was  alone  one  evening 
in  that  third-story  back  room  of  his  house  in 
Roxbury,  sitting  at  his  writing-desk,  hard  at 
work.  His  desk  was  an  old-fashioned  one,  with 
a  bookcase  above  and  a  slanting  lid  in  the 
middle,  which  let  down  on  two  slides  with  brass 
knobs.  It  had  belonged  to  his  grandfather, 
and  was  made  of  dark  mahogany,  with  quaint 
carvings  and  handsome  brass  handles.  The 
desk  part  of  it  was  full  of  little  compartments. 
Challey  and  Bob  kept  their  own  particular 
treasures  in  two  shallow  drawers  in  the  centre, 
over  the  space  allotted  to  the  inkstand,  holders, 
etc.  Challey's  drawer  contained  three  Indian 


THE   CHEZZLES.  61 

arrowheads,  four  dead  butterflies,  a  spider's 
nest,  a  revolutionary  button,  and  two  dollars 
and  sixty-four  cents,  —  his  pocket-money,  which 
he  was  saving  for  a  microscope.  Bob's  drawer 
contained  a  specimen  of  coal,  a  magnet,  a 
whale's  tooth,  two  pieces  of  broken,  red  glass, 
the  rusty  frame  of  a  pair  of  spectacles,  and 
ninety-nine  cents,  —  his  pocket-money,  which 
he  was  saving  to  buy  a  canoe. 

Mr.  Chezzle  had  a  paper  before  him  which 
he  had  covered  with  writing  and  figures.  He 
was  working  at  a  problem  which  he  could  not 
solve.  His  account-book  told,  to  a  penny,  -ex- 
actly what  his  expenses  were.  He  was  com- 
paring it  with  his  bank-book,  and  trying,  for 
about  the  twentieth  time,  to  make  the  sums  in 
the  latter  add  up  a  little  larger  and  those  in 
the  former  add  up  a  little  less.  Unless  he 
could  do  this,  he  did  not  know  how  he  was 
going  to  pay  the  bills  which  were  running  up 
so  fast  on  all  sides.  He  had  gone  over  them 
until  he  knew  them  aU  by  heart,  and,  with  the 
closest  calculation,  provided  there  were  no  "  ex- 
tras "  or  "  accidentals,"  if  he  sent  his  wife  the 
smallest  possible  allowance,  if  the  new  tenants 
required  nothing  in  the  way  of  repairs,  and  if 
they  paid  their  rent  promptly ,  —  he  wondered 
how  big  that  "  if  "  was,  —  in  short,  if  every- 


62  THE   CHEZZLES. 

thing  ran  smoothly,  the  summer  expenses 
amounted  to  considerably  more  than  the  sum 
which  he  calculated  was  the  most  he  could 
afford  for  them.  He  had  taken  out  a  "  Bond 
and  Mortgage "  paper,  and  said  to  himself, 
that,  if  he  sold  that  investment,  he  would  get 
through  the  difficulty.  But  that  paper  repre- 
sented the  savings  of  his  lifetime.  He  could 
not  make  up  his  mind  to  break  into  the  one 
little  nest-egg  he  had  set  aside  for  his  wife  and 
children.  In  his  abstraction  he  pulled  out  the 
children's  drawers  and  counted  over  their  sav- 
ings. "  Poor  little  chaps  !  "  he  said  to  himself, 
putting  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  taking  out 
some  loose  change.  He  fingered  it  with  a  great 
longing  to  drop  it  into  the  drawers.  "  Have  n't 
any  right  to  !  There  's  a  miserly  comfort  in 
making  that  ninety-nine  cents  a  dollar,  though," 
he  thought,  dropping  a  cent  into  Bob's  drawer, 
and  then  restoring  the  money  to  his  pocket, 
said,  half  aloud,  "  Poor  little  shavers  !  " 

He  need  not  have  pitied  them  a  bit.  They 
were  as  happy  as  crickets,  and  had  not  thought 
of  their  pocket-money  once  since  they  had  left 
home.  And  if  they  could  have  guessed  what 
was  in  his  mind,  their  hearts  would  have  nearly 
burst  with  joy  at  giving  every  precious  penny 
to  him  with  the  idea  that  it  would  help  matters. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  63 

Mr.  Chezzle  knew  that,  too,  but  he  sighed, 
and  said,  "  Poor  little  shavers  !  "  all  the  same. 

A  knock  startled  him.  "  Come  in  !  "  he 
said,  closing  the  drawers,  and  Molly  entered 
with  a  basket  of  clean  clothes. 

"  Ha,  Molly,  that  is  you,  is  it  ? "  said  Mr. 
Chezzle,  and,  somehow,  his  face  brightened. 

Anybody  would  brighten  at  sight  of  Molly's 
honest  face  and  pleasant  smile. 

"  Good  avenin',  Mr.  Chizzle-sir  ! "  she  said, 
setting  the  basket  on  the  table.  "  The  things 
is  oil  complate,  an'  have  yez  anny  more  letters 
from  the  byes  come  since  ?  " 

"  I  believe  I  read  them  all  to  you,  Molly," 
said  Mr.  Chezzle.  "  But  I  shall  write  to  them 
this  evening ;  can't  you  give  me  a  message  ?  " 

"  Indade  an'  ye  can  spake  a  tistament  far 
me,"  said  Molly,  drawing  a  chair  in  front  of 
him,  sitting  down  on  the  edge  of  it,  and  speak- 
ing eagerly.  "  Ye  can  say,  far  me,  to  that 
Captain  Pepper,  sir,  that  he  shuddent  be  en- 
gaged in  his  occupayshun  of  following  the  say, 
whilst  he  laves  them  childers  to  make  amuse- 
ment far  thimsilves  wid  a  whale  ! " 

"  Oho  !  ho  !  "  laughed  Mr.  Chezzle.  «  Why, 
Molly,  what  they  have  written  about  that  is 
every  bit  gammon  !  A  whale  could  not  get 
into  such  shallow  water. '  They  have  seen  some 


64  THE   CHEZZLES. 

floating  log,  or  cask,  or  possibly  a  row-boat 
upside  down,  and  have  mistaken  it  for  a 
whale.  Have  you  been  worrying  yourself 
about  that?" 

"  Indade  an'  I  have,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir  ! "  said 
Molly,  beginning  gravely,  but  growing  excited 
as  she  went  on.  "  It 's  not  them  byes  wid  their 
school  knowledge  comin'  into  me  kitchen  manny 
a  time  an'  tellin'  me  the  hull  multiplicayshun 
table,  savin'  what 's  beyant  six  times  nine  I 
think  it  is  that 's  where  Bobby  comes  to  a 
stand,  an'  that 's  more  than  ye  should  expect 
from  his  years !  An'  it 's  not  them  knows 
all  that  an'  don't  know  a  whale  whin  they  sot 
their  own  blessed  eyes  on  him  !  No  !  An'  it 's 
a  say-captain  that  thinks  no  more  of  a  whale 
than  he  thinks  of  —  of  —  a  miskaty  !  " 

It  cheered  Mr.  Chezzle  to  hear  Molly  go  on 
about  his  boys,  and  he  tipped  back  in  his  chair 
and  listened  with  evident  pleasure  to  her  while 
she  expatiated  some  minutes  on  the  subject. 
But  he  could  by  no  means  satisfy  her  as  to 
Captain  Pepper's  ability  to  keep  the  children 
out  of  danger. 

Presently  she  rose  and  began  to  unpack  her 
basket.  She  put  the  clothes  away  carefully  into 
the  bureau,  and  was  just  lifting  something  with 
great  care  from  the  bottom  of  the  basket,  when 


THE   CHEZZLES.  65 

there  was  a  sound  of  loud  voices  in  the  hall 
below,  a  heavy  tramp  of  feet  on  the  stairs,  and 
a  bang  on  Mr.  Chezzle's  door. 

Molly  opened  it,  and  a  sharp-faced  woman 
presented  herself.  She  was  the  servant  of  the 
new  tenants,  and  looked  tough  and  knotty,  un- 
tidy, and  as  cross  as  two  sticks. 

Ignoring  the  existence  of  Molly,  she  said 
sharply  :  "  Miss  Macksby  'd  like  ye  to  come 
down-stairs  immayjit,  Mr.  Chizzle  !  The  wash- 
tubs  is  lakin'  an'  the  pipes  floodin'  an'  ye  'd  be 
plazed  to  buy  a  noo  clo'es-wringer  an'  sind  the 
plumber  in  the  marnin'  airly  !  " 

Mr.  Chezzle's  cares  had  come  back  with  a 
rush.  He  was  beginning  to  say  that  he  would 
examine  into  the  matter,  when  Molly  inter- 
posed, saying  with  some  spirit : 

"  It 's  oil  jist  the  craziest  nonsinse,  Mr. 
Chizzle-sir,  about  thim  tubs !  An'  if  they 
lake,  it 's  the  fault  an'  nothing  else  of  some 
ignorant  gurril  what  "  — 

"  And  who  are  you  that 's  a-spakin'  ?  "  de- 
manded the  other  woman.  "  If  anny  one 's 
crazy,  it 's  yersilf,  whoever  ye  are,  an'  "  — 

"  Matilda  !  "  called  a  worried  voice  from 
down-stairs,  "just  ask  Mr.  Chezzle  if  he  can't 
come  down  into  the  kitchen  himself." 

Mr.  Chezzle  made  a  movement  to  go  at  once, 


66  THE  CHEZZLES. 

when  Molly  again  stopped  him  by  calling  over 
the  banisters  :  "  Mr.  Chizzle  has  bizness  of  the 
extramest  impartence  an'  can't  lave  his  room,  — 
not  if  the  house  is  oil  ready  to  float  off  !  Shut 
the  doore  lively,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir,  an'  lave  me 
to  attind  to  thim !  "  she  added,  in  a  comfort- 
able tone,  and,  brushing  by  Matilda,  she  trot- 
ted down-stairs  before  anybody  could  interfere 
with  her.  Matilda  followed,  of  course,  and 
kept  up  a  volley  of  complimentary  remarks, 
which  she  fired  at  Molly's  back.  The  kitchen 
was  a  dismal  sight.  The  hearth  covered  with 
ashes  and  bits  of  coal,  with  the  scuttle,  shovel, 
poker,  and  a  dish-pan  in  the  midst.  Unwashed 
dishes  filled  the  sink  and  covered  the  table. 
There  was  a  piece  of  an  ashy,  soggy  pie  on  the 
dresser,  any  number  of  rags  were  lying  about, 
and  everything  was  in  general  disorder. 

Molly  was  ready  to  blaze  as  she  passed 
through  the  room  which  it  had  been  her  pride 
to  keep  neat.  "  Statch-awerry  was  nivver  claner 
than  I  left  it !  "  she  muttered,  as  she  looked 
back  into  it  before  stepping  into  the  laundry. 
She  jerked  her  bonnet  off,  hung  it  on  a  corner 
of  the  clothes-horse,  rolled  up  her  sleeves, 
thrust  her  arm  courageously  into  the  unpleas- 
ant-looking water  which  filled  one  of  the  tubs, 
and  pulled  out  the  stopper. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  67 

Matilda  kept  up  her  scold  while  she  held  a 
light  and  watched  the  operation. 

"  Say  on  !  say  on  !  "  said  Molly.  "  Don't 
be  quiet,  if  it  hurts  yez  !  Don't  conthrol  yer 
Avurrids  for  my  sake,  becaze  I  'm  not  mindin' 
thim  no  more  than  you  '11  mind  the  tubses 
lakin'  whin  I  git  troo  wid  'em !  " 

She  made  a  careful  examination  of  the  three 
tubs,  and  then,  after  washing  her  arms  under  a 
faucet  and  drying  them  with  her  handkerchief, 
tied  on  her  bonnet  again,  while  she  said  quietly  : 
"  Annybody  can  make  tubs  lake  if  they  lave 
'em  dry  long  enough.  I  remarked  the  day  yez 
come  that  the  tub  in  the  earner  was  thirsty,  an' 
here  it 's  a  wake  sinse  an'  the  poor  thing  has 
had  ne'er  a  thrink  yit !  An'  ye  '11  not  find  the 
pipes  shtopped  up  afther  me  pullin'  all  thim 
old  rags  out.  A  little  sinse  now  an'  thin  comes 
in  handy,  an'  I  'd  advise  yez  to  git  a  supply  the 
nixt  opporcAwnity  ;  an'  I  '11  take  the  wringer 
if  ye  plaze." 

Matilda,  keeping  up  a  volley  of  indignant 
brogue,  struck  out  with  the  wringer  which 
Molly  took  from  her.  She  looked  it  over  care- 
fully, and  then,  giving  Matilda  a  withering  look, 
said  dryly  :  "  I  '11  mend  it  mesilf,  up-stairs,  an' 
bring  it  back  against  I  go  whome  !  " 

Matilda  followed  her  to  the  door,  with  a  few 


68  THE   CHEZZLES. 

remarks ;  but  Molly  turned  before  she  went  out, 
and  said,  in  a  voice  which  insisted  upon  being 
heard  :  "  I  'm  extramely  thankful  to  yez  for  yer 
perliteness  !  Ye  've  got  the  manners  of  a  lady, 
ye  have,  an'  if  ye  want  annything  more,  let  me 
know  it,  an'  I  '11  call  agin  ! "  With  which 
words  she  sailed  out  of  the  kitchen. 

Returning  to  Mr.  Chezzle,  she  closed  the 
door  behind  her,  and  said :  "  There  's  nothin' 
to  call  ye  down-stairs  atall-atall,  sir  !  It 's  the 
pipes  that  was  stranglin'  and  one  o'  the  tubs 
that  was  cryin'  for  a  thrink ;  an'  it 's  the 
wringer  jist  beggin'  for  a  screw  in  this  place, 
an'  the  drahr  wid  the  tools  is  on  yer  own  shilf 
there,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Mr.  Chezzle,  in  a  tone  of  great 
satisfaction,  selecting  a  screw,  and,  with  the 
weight  of  those  accounts  upon  him,  feeling  as 
if  Molly  had  warded  off  some  enormous  burden. 
"  Molly,  you  're  a  blessing  to  mankind  !  " 

"  An'  that 's  more  than  that  gurr'l  thinks 
I  'm  after  bein'  to  womm-kind,  sir  !  "  said 
Molly,  her  face  breaking  into  smiles  all  over. 
It  fell  dolefully  again  as  she  added :  "  But  it 's 
a  sight  I  'm  glad  the  byes'  mother  is  spared  the 
lookin'  at  —  is  the  kitchen  !  There  was  n't  a 
thing,  from  the  tubs  down  to  the  tay-kittle,  but 
was  broken-hearted  an'  cryin'  out  to  me  !  " 


THE   CHEZZLES.  69 

But  the  wringer  was  mended,  and  it  was 
time  for  her  to  go  home.  She  went  to  the  bas- 
ket and  took  out  the  parcel  she  had  had  in  her 
hand  when  Matilda  knocked.  It  proved  to  be 
a  cherry  pie  which  she  had  made  herself  with 
great  care,  and  which  she  laid  on  the  desk, 
right  on  top  of  Mr.  Chezzle's  account-book. 

"  There  !  "  she  said,  with  pride.  "  Fresh 
this  marnin',  Mr.  Chizzle-sir,  an'  it  does  me 
•good  to  set  it  before  yez,  after  seein'  that 
hungry  old  piece  on  the  dresser  down-stairs 
this  blessed  minute.  An'  I  hope,"  she  added, 
solemnly,  "  for  the  sake  of  Mrs.  Chizzle  an' 
the  byes,  that  it  was  nivver  yersell  ate  what 's 
gone  o'  that  pie,  sir  !  " 

Mr.  Chezzle  was  as  delighted  as  any  school- 
boy with  Molly's  gift,  and  began  at  once  to  cut 
out  a  piece  of  it  with  his  penknife,  expressing 
his  gratitude,  and  at  the  same  time  relieving 
her  of  much  anxiety  by  telling  her  that  he  had 
arranged  to  get  his  meals  at  a  restaurant. 

She  went  away  with  a  beaming  face  and  the 
remark,  which  she  put  her  head  in  at  the  door 
on  purpose  to  make  :  "  An'  the  juice  is  rich  an' 
beautiful,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir  !  " 


V. 


CAPTAIN  PEPPER'S  TALK  WITH  THE  CHILDREN  ON  THE 
PORCH. 

OF  course  Challey  and  Bob  knew  nearly  all 
the  little  boys  in  Nipsit.  Their  advan- 
tages for  making  acquaintances  were  excep- 
tional this  summer,  because  Captain  Pepper 
was  as  fond  of  children  as  ever  "  Rip  Van 
Winkle  "  was.  He  coidd  not  show  himself  in 
the  street  or  sit  down  in  his  front  porch  for 
any  length  of  time  without  a  flock  of  children 
of  all  sizes  and  patterns  gathering  around  him. 
And  if  he  was  seen  even  in  his  boat  alone,  peo- 
ple would  say  :  "  There  goes  Captain  Zenas  — 
where  's  his  crew  ?  "  The  very  babies  cried  for 
him.  When  the  Tuckit  children  were  going 
through  the  teething  period,  he  had  to  go  to  the 
post-office  by  a  back  way,  unless  he  wanted  to 
take  some  of  them  along.  The  irresistible  mag- 
netism of  a  good  heart,  which  showed  itself 
throughout  his  personality,  attracted  all  young 


THE   CHEZZLES.  71 

people  to  him.  Even  the  little  mute,  who  had 
never  heard  his  kindly  voice  or  one  of  his  en- 
chanting stories,  would  bang  on  the  window- 
pane,  if  she  saw  him  pass  the  house,  as  if  she 
meant  to  break  the  glass,  and  pantomime  the 
act  of  hauling  up  the  sail  of  a  boat,  which  was 
her  way  of  begging  him  to  take  her  with  him. 
And  he  generally  did  so,  for  children  were 
never  in  his  way.  If  he  was  mending  a  net, 
or  patching  a  sail,  he  could  tell  a  story  just  as 
well  meanwhile ;  and  if  he  had  work  to  do  in 
"  the  shop,"  he  could  station  a  few  children 
about  on  the  shaving-heap,  door-step,  carpen- 
ter's-bench,  or  a  dozen  places  as  conveniently 
as  he  could  put  his  tools  away  where  they  be- 
longed. 

Nobody  could  have  been  more  watchful 
than  he  was  over  his  two  charges,  Challey  and 
Bob.  He  made  it  a  point  always  to  know 
where  they  were  and  in  what  company.  They 
were  never  afraid  to  tell  him,  because,  if  he  dis- 
approved, he  was  sure  to  have  something  to 
propose  which  they  liked  better.  "  If  a  person 
has  n't  got  wit  enough  to  know  how  to  turn 
the  weathercocks  of  children's  minds  to  suit 
himself,  he  'd  better  not  meddle  with  them," 
he  used  to  say. 

One  day,  returning  with  his  mail  from  the 


72  THE   CHEZZLES. 

post-office,  he  met  Challey  and  Bob,  Alex 
Tuckit,  Crissy  Jones,  Jim  Holburn,  and  Zanzi- 
bar, filing  out  of  his  gate. 

"  Hold  on  !  Where  are  ye  bound  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Gull  Ma'sh,"  they  all  answered  at  once. 

"  We  're  going  whaling  !  "  said  Bob,  whose 
voice  rang  out  above  all  the  others. 

"Well,  heave-to  a  spell  first,  can't  you?" 
said  the  captain.  "  Here  's  a  letter  for  you ; 
don't  you  want  to  read  it  ?  " 

"I  —  I  'd  just  as  lieve  wait  till  after  sup- 
per," said  Bob,  in  a  hurry  to  get  off.  Challey 
tucked  a  long  stick,  which  he  had  sharpened  at 
one  end  for  a  harpoon,  under  his  arm,  and  was 
breaking  the  seal  of  the  letter  while  the  cap- 
tain was  saying  persuasively  :  "  Well,  whaling 
is  serious  work.  It  takes  a  long  time  to  —  to 
look  after  a  whale  when  you  've  caught  him. 
Now,  if  you  should  read  the  letter  first,  you  'd 
have  nothin'  to  interfere  with  business,  and 
could  go  off  and  ketch  the  whale,  and  maybe 
have  him  skinned  afore  supper  time  —  don't 
ye  see  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Challey,  following  the  captain 
to  the  porch.  "  And  this  is  from  mamma,  too. 
Come  along,  fellows,  and  hear  Cap'm  Pepper 
read  it." 

The  captain  put  on  his  spectacles,  while  the 


THE  CHEZZLES.  73 

boys  and  the  dog  all  sat  down  in  a  huddle 
around  him.  They  giggled  and  punched 
one  another  until  the  captain  was  ready  to 
begin. 

"  Now,  boys,"  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  be 
quiet.  When  mothers  put  their  sayins  down, 
ther  's  generally  somethin'  worth  hearin'.  So 
I  'd  like  to  know  first  who  's  goin'  to  listen." 

"  I  am  !  "  they  all  cried. 

"  I  'm  goin'  to  listen  like  a  house  afire  !  " 
said  little  Jim  Holburn,  looking  up  into  the 
captain's  face. 

"  So  you  shall,  chap.  Come  ;  —  up  here, 
chap  !  "  Captain  Pepper  said,  tapping  his  knee, 
and  holding  his  hand  out.  Jim  went  and  hid 
his  frowzy  head  behind  his  hat,  against  the 
captain's  blue  flannel  shirt.  Poor  little  Jim  ! 
His  mother  had  died  last  winter,  and  the  only 
person  left  to  take  care  of  him  was  Miss  Lizy 
Green,  and  she,  according  to  Jim's  account, 
"  was  n't  blood-related  nohow  "  to  him,  and  was 
"  only  some  kind  of  a  cousin  to  somebody  in 
the  fam'ly  that  was  dead  ! " 

So  the  captain,  who  understood,  patted  Jim's 
shoulder  while  he  read  Mrs.  Chezzle's  letter  to 
the.  boys.  It  was  all  about  her  life  in  the  little 
French  suburb,  and  about  their  cousin  Maria 
Antoinette,  who  had  so  many  toys  that  Mrs. 


74  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Chezzle  doubted,  she  said,  if  even  the  *  Luella  ' 
could  hold  them  all. 

There  was  a  murmur  of  "  oh !  "  at  the  state- 
ment, and  various  sentiments  were  exchanged 
to  the  effect  that  it  was  a  pity  Maria  could  not 
sail  over  to  Nipsit  with  the  whole  cargo,  and 
that  it  was  an  awful  waste  to  have  toys  meant 
only  for  girls  in  such  abundance.  If  they  were 
only  little  boats,  and  engines,  and  soldiers, 
what  treasures  they  would  be !  Nothing  else 
in  the  letter  caused  any  particular  excitement 
until  a  shout  was  raised  by  the  postscript : 
"  Maria  and  I  are  very  curious  to  know  what  a 
'  torshunt '  is.  We  suppose  it  is  some  strange 
animal  brought  by  one  of  the  sailors  from  a 
foreign  land.  Be  careful  not  to  let  it  bite  you. 
I  hope  it  is  not  dangerous." 

"  What  in  the  name  of  wonder  have  you 
boys  been  writing  to  her  about  a  torshent  ?  " 
asked  Captain  Pepper. 

"  Why-ee  !  "  cried  Bob.  "  I  wrat  all  about 
the  time  we  found  Ranna  and  saved  her 
from  being  scalped  by  the  Indians  —  don't  you 
know?" 

"  Oho  !  ho  !  ho  !  "  roared  the  captain,  and 
Challey  imitated  him,  shouting  : 

"  Oho  !  ho  !  I  say,  Bob,  Cap'm  Pepper  said 
the  youngest  child  was  a  torshent ;  so  Maria  's 


THE   CHEZZLES.  75 

one,  of  course.  We  '11  write  and  tell  mamma 
to  be  careful  she  don't  bite  !  " 

The  idea  caused  so  much  fun  that  Alex 
Tuckit  finally  jumped  up  and  said  he  thought 
they  had  "  drapped  anchor  long  'nough,"  and 
that  it  was  about  time  they  "  tacked  for  the 
Ma'sh." 

Alex  was  invaluable  to  Challey  and  Bob, 
he  knew  so  many  sea-terms.  After  the  chil- 
dren had  gone  the  captain  opened  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  himself,  which  he  had  forgotten  until 
then.  It  was  from  Molly  Dolan,  and  as  the 
spelling  was  quite  original,  and  there  were  no 
stops,  it  was  a  work  of  time  to  decipher  it. 

Molly  wrote  :  — 

"  It 's  a  wild  profeshun  is  followin'  the  sa 
for  them  thats  boarn  an  brort  up  in  botes  an 
newer  noes  wat  it  is  to  tred  on  firrm  sile  but 
larns  to  wawk  on  the  rollling  Dape  an  gets 
that  yuste  to  it  thade  go  to  slape  wid  Wales 
an  Allygaiters  an  no  more  is  aven  a  Crockky- 
dile  to  thirn  I  mane  than  kittns  wid  thare  ise 
shut  but  its  thim  bies  makin  frins  wid  a  Wale 
that  ime  dramin  of  till  I  sa  thim  in  me  mind 
wawk  doun  his  trote  an  its  Bob  wood  be  willin 
an  not  wate  to  No  wat  wuz  beyant  an  its  challe 
mite  be  dramin  an  find  himsel  inside  the  cratur 
an  nivver  no  ware  he  Wuz  nor  the  wa  out  an 


76  THE   CHEZZLES. 

du  it  he  wud  in  his  innysinse  in  spite  of  the 
korshun  hede  resaved  from  joner  that  wuz 
swollered  at  the  sundy-skool  but  he  wood  not 
helave  it  an  now  wil  yuze  captin  Pepperser  lave 
him  to  convints  himsel  inside  the  Wale  ide 
like  to  No  Mary  ami  Dolan." 

"  Well !  well !  "  said  Captain  Pepper  to  him- 
self, rising  and  putting  the  letter  in  his  pocket. 
"  You  can't  put  reason  into  a  head  where  there 
are  n't  any  brains  for  it  to  stick  to  !  " 

He  went  to  the  shop  to  do  a  little  work,  but 
his  mind  was  disturbed.  Molly's  letter  vexed, 
as  much  as  it  amused,  him.  He  did  not  see 
why  she  should  bother  her  head  because  the 
children  chose  to  let  her  know  they  were  build- 
ing a  whale-trap.  They  might  build  forty,  if 
they  wanted  to,  and  what  harm  would  there 
be  if  they  fancied  that  they  were  going  to 
catch  even  the  old  Sea  Serpent,  if  they  chose? 
It  was  about  as  safe  an  occupation  as  they 
could  be  engaged  in,  and,  so  far  from  worrying 
about  it,  he  decided  to  put  some  nails  and  a 
tool  or  two  in  the  "  Luella,"  take  her  round  by 
the  marsh,  through  the  guzzle,  and  after  giving 
the  youngsters  a  little  help  at  their  famous 
whale-trap,  to  treat  them  all  to  a  sail  home. 


VI. 

HOW    LUCKY   IT    WAS    THAT    BOB'S    LEG    WAS     NOT     BITTEN 
ENTIRELY    OFF. 

IT  was  as  difficult  to  distinguish  what  any 
one  of  the  five  little  boys,  all  talking  at 
once,  was  saying,  as  it  would  have  been  to  tell 
which  was  which  among  their  ten  bare  legs, 
walking  so  fast,  all  in  a  huddle,  down  the  vil- 
lage street.  Now  and  then  one  voice,  oftenest 
Bob's,  screamed  down  the  others  ;  but  even  that 
required  skill.  As  they  went  hurrying  by 
Elisha  Barnes's  neat  cottage,  they  were  stopped 
and  silenced  all  at  once  by  his  little  mute 
daughter  banging,  with  aU  her  might,  upon 
one  of  the  window-panes.  She  shook  her  hand 
to  them,  nodded  and  laughed  with  so  much 
joy  at  beholding  her  friends  Challey  and  Bob, 
that  the  boys  stood  in  a  row,  looking  over  the 
fence  and  returning  her  gestures  for  a  moment. 
Then  she  left  the  window  and  ran  quickly 


78  THE   CHEZZLES. 

around  to  open  the  door,  making  vigorous  signs 
to  them,  pointing  down  the  road  with  one  hand, 
and  drawing  a  circle  around  her  head  with  the 
forefinger  of  the  other. 

"  Let  her  come  !  Let  her  come  !  "  cried 
Challey.  "  She  wants  to  get  her  hat  and  go 
with  us.  Do  let  her,  Mrs.  Barnes,  won't  you  ? 
I'll  take  care  of  her."  Her  mother  had  in- 
stantly followed  the  little  one  to  the  door, 
and,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  assented,  and 
handed  the  child  her  hat. 

Challey  and  Bob  had  been  to  see  her  several 
times  since  the  day  when  she  had  been  lost. 
They,  especially  Challey,  had  taken  great  pleas- 
ure in  showing  her  their  picture-books  and 
teaching  her  to  build  houses  in  Captain  Pepper's 
porch  with  their  blocks.  She  had  claimed  Chal- 
ley as  her  particular  friend  and  protector  from 
the  moment  when  she  had  first  seen  him.  Out 
of  her  helplessness  and  the  boy's  great  heart 
("  like  his  mother's  for  oil  the  wurrld  !  "  MoUy 
Dolan  often  said)  there  had  sprung  up  a  strong 
sympathy  and  the  first  friendship  which  little 
Ranna  had  ever  formed.  Miranda  —  that  was 
her  name.  Challey  had  asked  until  he  found 
out.  It  was  curious  that  so  few  people  knew 
it ;  he  could  not  understand  that  at  first. 
But  the  reason  was  simply,  as  Captain  Pepper 


THE   CHEZZLES.  79 

had  said,  because  there  was  so  little  use  for 
it.  To  attract  Ranna's  attention,  her  father, 
mother,  and  brother  Shirley  were  obliged  to 
touch  her,  to  tap  upon  the  floor  or  upon  some- 
thing by  means  of  which  she  could  feel  the  jar 
or  vibration.  Nobody  called  her  by  her  name. 
Shirley,  with  that  mysterious  instinct  of  chil- 
dren which  seeks  to  shield  from  observation 
natural  defects  in  those  they  love,  never  talked 
about  her  much.  He  took  a  great  deal  of  care 
of  her,  and  was,  consequently,  not  very  often 
with  the  village  children.  They  were  invari- 
ably kind  to  her,  would  step  out  of  her  way, 
run  to  pick  up  things  for  her,  and  the  like,  but 
they  had  nothing  in  common  with  her.  They 
could  not  understand  her,  and  therefore  re- 
garded her  only  as  a  curiosity.  And  she  re- 
garded them  —  how  ?  Who  can  tell  ? 

With  Challey  and  Bob  it  was  different.  They 
thought  they  had  rescued  her  from  a  wild 
Indian,  and  they  had  certainly  befriended  her 
when  she  was  in  great  distress.  Their  very 
ignorance  of  her  affliction  had  made  the  best 
beginning  possible  to  their  friendship,  leading 
them  to  treat  her  just  as  they  would  any  other 
child.  So  she  trotted  along  now,  perfectly 
content,  looking  up  at  Challey  with  her  intelli- 
gent eyes,  now  and  then  crooning  her  inarticu- 


80  THE   CHEZZLES. 

late  monotones,  and  constantly  gesticulating 
with  one  hand,  while  she  held  her  companion's 
with  the  other. 

"  I  'in  so  used  to  seein'  her,  that  I  never 
think  about  her  at  all,"  said  Jim  Holburn. 

"/  do  —  I  like  to  make  her  gobble,"  said 
Crissy  Jones. 

"  She  don't  gobble  !  "  cried  Bob,  "  any  more 
than  you  do  ;  an'  if  you  say  that,  I  '11  —  I  '11 "  — 

"  Come  on,  then,  an'  do  it !  "  said  Crissy, 
always  ready  for  fisticuffs,  and  squaring  off. 

"  All  right !  "  said  Bob,  doubling  up  his  fists 
in  a  way  which  showed  that  he  was  not  used 
to  it. 

Crissy  was  delighted.  "  Hoo-ray  for  Dixie  !  " 
he  cried.  "  A  fight  for  Dummy  !  A  fight  for 
Dummy  !  "  and  he  knocked  off  Bob's  hat  to 
begin  with. 

c5 

"  Hold  up  there  !  "  screamed  Challey,  letting 
go  of  Ranna,  and  pushing  himself  between 
Crissy  and  Bob.  "  If  you  're  going  to  fight 
Bob,  you  've  got  to  fight  me  first,  I  tell  you  ; 
and  you  shan't  call  Ranna  '  Dummy,'  either  !  " 

"  Dummy  !  Dummy  !  Dummy  !  "  squealed 
Criss,  dancing  around  joyfully,  with  fists  first 
striking  out  at  Challey  and  then  at  Bob. 

"  I  will  fight  him  !  "  screamed  Bob.  "  I 
will  fight  him,  even  if  he  beats !  " 


THE  CHEZZLES.  81 

"  Hold  on,  I  say  !  "  cried  Alex,  coming1  to  the 
rescue  and  seizing  Criss  from  behind.  "  If 
you  're  boun'  to  fight,  Criss  Jones,  take  a  feller 
yer  own  size  !  "  and  Criss  rolled  over  in  the 
dust. 

Before  he  could  get  up,  Bob  straddled  over 
his  body,  Challey  sat  down  on  his  legs,  and 
Zanzibar,  who  thought  it  was  all  a  play  got  up 
for  his  benefit,  pounced  upon  the  heap. 

"  Now,  Criss  Jones,"  cried  Alex,  trying  to 
hold  down  his  arms,  while  the  dog  was  career- 
ing, "  you  've  got  to  promise  to  behave  yerself, 
or  else  you  shan't  go  with  us ;  we  '11  go  back 
an'  get  Captain  Pepper  ! " 

"  Yes  !  "  screamed  Challey.  "  An'  make  him 
say  he  won't  call  Ranna  i  Dummy ! '  He  's 
a  dummy,  an'  she  is  n't !  " 

"  Wait  till  I  git  hold  o'  you  jest,  Chal  Chez- 
zle  !  "  said  Criss. 

"  Promise  !  "  cried  Alex. 

And  there  they  were,  all  screaming  at  once, 
Ranna  looking  frightened,  and  little  Jim  hold- 
ing her  away  from  the  quarreling  boys.  But 
Criss  was  so  overpowered  that  he  promised  at 
last,  with  a  very  bad  grace  and  an  ominous  fist 
at  Challey. 

"  I  '11  hev  a  settlin'  with  you  for  callin'  me  a 
dummy  !  "  he  said.  "  What  /  said  was  true, 
an'  what  you  said  is  a  lie,  for  she  is  dumb  !  " 


82  THE  CHEZZLES. 

"  She  is  not  dumb  !  "  cried  Challey,  so  furi- 
ous that,  for  a  moment,  every  one  else  was 
silent.  "  Animals  are  dumb,  and  —  and  people 
that  have  n't  got  wits.  Her  mother  says  that 
at  the  ins'tute  over  to  Boston,  where  she  goes 
sometimes  on  purpose  to  learn  signs  to  show 
to  Ranna,  they  call  the  people  mutes,  and  they 
don't  like  to  be  called  dumb  ;  and  it 's  meaner 
to  do  it  to  Ranna  because  she  can't  hear  you 
and  tell  you  not  to  !  And  if  you  can't  under- 
stand that,  you  are  dumb,  and  I "  — 

"  Belay  now,  ChaUey  !"  cried  Alex.  "Don't 
you  go  and  put  a  match  to  him  again." 

"  Well,"  said  Crissy,  "  what  do  ye  call  her 
when  she  makes  them  noises  an'  slings  her  arms 
roun'  every  wich  way  an'  don't  mean  nothin'  at 
all?" 

"  She  does  mean  something,"  said  Challey ; 
they  were  walking  along  again,  amicably  now ; 
— "  only  she  does  n't  know  how  to  say  it. 
Everything  she  does  means  something,  and  if 
we  were  only  smart  enough,  we  might  know 
what.  Captain  Pepper  told  us  a  lot  about 
Ranna.  He  said,  if  we  only  knew  how  to 
understand  her,  she  could  teach  us  beautiful 
things,  maybe,  because  —  because  she  has  n't 
learned  anything  wrong,  or  wicked,  and  her 
heart  is  pure,  and  perhaps  "  — 


THE   CHEZZLES.  83 

"  Yes,  and  he  said  she  could  teach  us  other 
things  besides  goodness,"  cried  Bob,  "  because 
her  eyes  are  a  great  deal  brighter  than  talking- 
folkses  eyes,  and  she  can  move  quicker  "  — 

"  I  guess  she  can't  move  any  quicker  than 
me  !  "  cried  Jim,  who  liked  to  tell  of  his  accom- 
plishments. "  I  can  run  like  sixty  !  " 

"  Pooh  !  "  shouted  Bob.  "  She  can  run  like 
—  like  a  million  !  " 

This  was  a  crushing  statement ;  but  as  the 
popular  sentiment  now  was  in  favor  of  heaping 
nothing  but  praise  upon  the  unconscious  little 
Ranna,  Crissy  was  silent. 

When  they  reached  the  marsh  the  tide  was 
pretty  high,  and  they  looked  for  the  whale  im- 
mediately. Not  finding  it,  they  fell  to  playing 
with  their  boats.  They  rolled  up  their  trousers 
as  high  as  possible,  and  were  busy,  in  a  few 
minutes,  wading  in  and  out  of  the  water,  work- 
ing at  a  dam  in  one  place,  and  a  wharf  in 
another,  with  occupation  delightfully  unlimited, 
both  in  quantity  and  pleasure.  Challey  had 
Ranna  to  take  care  of,  so  he  did  not  enter  fully 
into  the  sport,  but  continually  returned  to  her 
where  she  sat  in  a  dry  place  among  the  rushes. 
On  the  way  there  she  had  found  a  bird's-nest 
with  a  broken  egg-shell  in  it,  and  she  was  study- 
ing it.  Children  with  the  gift  of  speech  would 


84  THE  CHEZZLES. 

not  have  looked  at  it  for  more  than  a  minute. 
But  Ranna  could  not  ask  questions  I  She  had 
to  discover  all  she  could  by  herself,  and  let  the 
rest  go.  So  she  examined  the  nest,  turned  it 
over  and  over,  traced  with  her  small  forefinger 
some  of  the  twigs,  and  tried  to  find  out  whether 
it  grew  so,  or  who  made  it,  and  why  the  egg 
was  broken.  She  only  asked  one  thing  which 
Challey  understood.  Spreading  out  her  arms, 
she  moved  them  like  wings,  as  when  she  had 
imitated  the  gulls,  then  laid  her  cheek  on  her 
open  hand  and  shut  her  eyes.  Opening  them 
again,  she  pointed  to  the  nest  and  looked  at 
Challey.  Challey  puzzled  a  moment  or  two,  and 
then,  repeating  her  signs,  nodded  and  pointed 
to  the  sky.  She  wanted  to  know  if  birds  slept 
in  the  nest,  and  he  had  told  her  that  they  did, 
but  they  had  flown  away.  He  wished  he  knew 
what  she  was  thinking  about  while  she  was  in 
such  a  brown  study  over  it.  She  would  not 
have  known  that  it  had  anything  to  do  with 
birds  if  she  had  not  seen  a  ground-bird's  nest 
once,  with  four  little  young  ones  in  it. 

While  she  was  busy  in  this  way,  Alex  and 
Crissy  were  at  work  upon  the  dam,  and  Bob 
and  Jim  were  sailing  their  boats. 

Suddenly,  down  went  Ranna' s  nest,  up  she 
sprang,  and  pointed  to  the  water,  running  from 


THE  CHEZZLES.  85 

boy  to  boy  to  make  each  one  look.  Her  eyes 
were  always  the  first  to  discover  everything. 
It  had  seemed  as  if  she  could  not  see  anything 
from  her  seat  among  the  rushes. 

"  Hi !  it 's  the  whale  !  "  screamed  Bob,  in  a 
minute  up  to  his  thighs  in  the  water  by  the 
trap. 

Sure  enough,  a  large,  clumsy  creature  of 
some  sort  had  got  into  the  shallow  water  and 
was  swimming  in  great  curves,  trying  to  find 
the  opening  by  which  he  had  entered.  It 
was  easy  to  follow  its  movements  because  of 
the  big  fin  in  the  middle  of  its  back,  which 
stuck  out  of  the  water  and  made  an  enormous 
wake. 

Here  was  the  chance  for  which  the  boys  had 
waited  so  long !  Alex  stationed  himself  on 
one  side  of  the  trap,  Crissy  and  Bob  on  the 
other,  with  planks  ready  to  drop  between  the 
stakes  as  soon  as  the  fish  should  be  obliging 
enough  to  swim  through  the  little  creek  into 
the  inner  pond.  But  it  declined  to  swim  any- 
where near  the  creek.  It  only  curved,  rapidly 
and  stupidly,  in  huge  figure  8s,  around,  and 
back,  and  around  again. 

"  Give  it  up  !  "  cried  Bob,  in  a  few  minutes ; 
and  leaving  his  plank  to  Crissy,  he  waded  out 
and  ran  to  the  edge  of  the  bay,  where  the  fish, 


86  THE   CHEZZLES. 

in  its  curves,  made  its  nearest  approach  to  the 
shore.  Then  Bob's  legs  were  everywhere  around 
the  bay,  in  it,  and  out  of  it.  The  other  boys 
watched  the  fish,  which  Alex  and  Crissy  rec- 
ognized now  as  a  dogfish,  without  the  least 
idea  of  what  Bob's  intentions  were.  They  had 
all  deserted  the  trap  because  Alex,  with  a  sud- 
den gleam  of  intelligence,  had  said :  "  There  '11 
be  plenty  of  time  to  h'ist  the  planks  after  he 
swims  through  !  Let  's  watch  him  till  he  does 
it;  you  could  see  him  better  if  ye  'd  stop 
rarin'  an'  anchor  in  one  spot,  Bob  !  " 

But  Bob  was  intent  upon  his  own  enterprise, 
and  nobody  was  anxious  about  him  except 
Zanzibar,  who  raced  after  him  in  every  direc- 
tion, whining  at  him  piteously,  and  barking 
loudly  at  the  fish.  Ranna  knew  what  he  was 
after.  She  was  the  only  one  who  did,  and  she 
danced  with  glee.  She  knew  nothing  of  fear 
except  what  actual  experience  had  taught  her. 
One  day  when  Mr.  Parker,  the  gentleman  who 
owned  the  prettiest  of  the  five  summer  cottages 
in  Nipsit,  was  driving  his  family  through  the 
village  with  his  pair  of  fast,  black  horses, 
Ranna,  left  alone  for  a  minute,  had  walked 
across  the  road  under  their  very  noses.  It  took 
all  Mr.  Parker's  strength  and  skill  to  rein  in 
the  animals,  who  reared  and  plunged  frightfully 


THE   CHEZZLES.  87 

while  the  little  mute  walked  leisurely  across 
their  path.  Mrs.  Parker's  scream  brought 
Shirley,  white  with  terror,  to  his  sister's  side ; 
but  Ranna,  feeling  the  horses'  breath  upon  her 
head,  had  only  looked  up  at  them  and  smiled 
gently  into  their  faces.  A  horse  had  never 
hurt  the  child  —  why  should  she  be  startled  by 
one,  or  any  number  of  them  ?  The  day  when 
she  had  been  lost  in  the  woods,  it  was  not  a 
wild  Indian,  as  Challey  and  Bob  had  fully  per- 
suaded themselves  it  was,  that  had  frightened 
her ;  it  was  a  frog  which  had  jumped  into 
her  lap  ;  and  now,  while  she  was  whoUy  un- 
moved by  the  plunging  horses,  she  would  have 
been  beside  herself  with  terror  at  the  sight  of 
one  poor,  wee  little  frog !  So,  she  was  not  a 
bit  afraid  of  the  huge  dogfish,  but  hoped  with 
all  her  heart  that  Bob  would  catch  him ;  and 
she  knew  that  was  what  he  was  after,  knee- 
deep  in  the  water,  where  at  every  sweep  the 
creature  came  nearer. 

Now  it  was  coming  ! 

"  Come  out,  Bob  ! "  shouted  Challey,  use- 
lessly, for  the  twentieth  time.  Here  it  comes  ! 
Bob  made  no  sound,  for  fear  of  scaring  it 
away.  Nearer  this  time,  nearer  —  here  it  is ! 
And  Bob,  with  a  frantic  lunge,  grabs  it  by  the 
tail! 


88  THE  CHEZZLES. 

Ah,  what  a  shriek  !  For,  with  the  touch 
of  his  hands,  the  animal  gave  a  turn  and  buried 
his  teeth  in  Bob's  leg  !  One  shriek  ?  Shriek 
upon  shriek  from  poor  little  Bob  for  an  in- 
stant, as  he  came  staggering  out  of  the  water, 
the  blood  streaming  from  his  leg.  Challey, 
gasping,  too  frightened  to  scream,  was  helping 
him  on  one  side,  while  Alex  was  on  the  other, 
and  they  sat  him  down  on  the  grass.  Every 
boy  was  pale  with  fright.  Challey  thought 
Bob  was  hurt  unto  death  ! 

"  Tie  it  up  !  How  shall  we  tie  it  up  ?  "  he 
cried  pitifully,  pulling  out  his  small  handker- 
chief for  the  purpose.  The  wound  was  dread- 
ful, and  there  was  the  blood  streaming  and 
only  three  mites  of  handkerchiefs  among  all 
the  boys.  "  Ranna  !  maybe  Ranna  's  got  one !  " 
thought  Challey. 

Poor  little  Ranna  !  She  did  not  know  what 
all  the  excitement  was  about.  The  boys  had 
crowded  around  Bob  so  quickly  that  she  had 
not  caught  sight  of  the  wound  or  the  blood. 
She  had  only  seen  the  fish  swim  away,  was  dis- 
appointed, and  began  looking  for  her  nest 
again.  Challey  now  ran  to  her,  caught  her 
by  the  hand,  drew  her  quickly  over  to  Bob, 
showing  her  a  handkerchief,  and  pointing  first 
to  her  pocket  and  then  to  his  leg. 


THE  CHEZZLES.  89 

She  looked,  innocently,  where  he  pointed  ; 
her  eyes  caught  sight  of  the  wound  and  the 
blood,  and  her  face  grew  ghastly  pale  in  an 
instant.  Then  she  turned  sick  and  faint,  and 
threw  herself  upon  the  ground,  uttering  that 
piteous  wail  of  hers. 

Challey  could  not  attend  to  her  —  Bob  was 
bleeding  to  death  !  He  began  with  trembling 
hands  to  try  to  stop  the  blood  with  the  mis- 
erable little  handkerchiefs.  Ranna  was  too 
much  frightened  to  lie  still.  In  an  instant  she 

O 

was  up  again,  wailing  loudly,  her  face  all 
drawn  with  horror,  looking  towards  Bob.  Ha  ! 
she  saw  what  Challey  was  doing !  Quicker 
than  thought,  she  saw  everything  and  knew 
that  he  and  Alex  were  trying  to  bind  Bob's 
leg.  The  small  handkerchiefs  were  already 
saturated  with  the  blood  that  was  sickening  — 
oh,  so  sickening  to  her  !  Anything  —  anything 
to  cover  up  the  dreadful  sight  1  That  was 
Ranna' s  instinct,  as  she  clutched  at  her  muslin 
frock.  Its  touch  was  enough  for  her  quick  wit, 
and  in  a  moment  she  was  struggling  to  get 
it  off,  frantic  in  her  dumb  appeal  for  help. 
Challey  —  any  of  them  might  have  understood 
her  then,  but  it  was  Challey  who  undid  the 
buttons  and  had  the  dress  off  in  a  minute. 
Alex  bound  it  around  the  poor  little  leg  as 


90  THE   CHEZZLES. 

well  as  he  could,  for  it  was  clumsy  to  manage, 
and  they  never  thought  of  tearing  it. 

Then  Challey  sat  down  by  his  little  brother 
and  put  his  arm  around  him.  "  You  —  you 
need  n't  cr-cry,  Challey !  I  do-don't  Vlieve 
I'mk-k-killed  — ami?" 

"  No !  no !  no !  "  screamed  all  the  boys  at 
once,  while  the  tears  rolled  most  piteously  down 
the  face  of  Challey,  who  was  less  certain. 

"  What  's  Ranna  doing  now  ?  "  cried  Crissy, 
pointing  to  where  she  had  run  out  on  a  grassy 
point  and  was  waving  both  arms  frantically 
over  her  head,  sending  her  long,  monotonous 
cries  out  over  the  water. 

Ah !  It  was  Captain  Pepper's  boat !  Tack- 
ing far  out  because  of  the  shoals  ;  but  he  was 
there  and  would  surely  come  to  them. 

"  Captain  Pepper  !  Captain  Pepper  !  " 
screamed  Jim's  shrill  voice  as  he  ran  to  join 
the  shivering  and  wailing  Ranna.  Every  boy 
watched  the  boat  until  it  reached  the  old  pier. 
Certainly,  in  all  the  voyages  he  had  ever 
made,  the  captain  was  never  more  astonished 
than  he  was  by  the  sight  of  Ranna  in  her  pet- 
ticoats, little  Jim  trying  to  put  his  jacket  on 
her,  and  the  bundle  which  the  others  were  tell- 
ing him  was  Bob's  leg  ! 

When  the  wind  blows  softly,  the  water  acts 


THE  CHEZZLES.  91 

as  a  sounding-board  and  carries  the  voice  far 
and  clearly.  Away  out,  before  he  tacked  for 
the  narrow  channel  which  he  called  a  "guz- 
zle," Captain  Pepper  had  heard  Ranna's  wail, 
like  the  cry  of  a  screech-owl  at  night,  from  the 
end  of  the  grassy  point.  As  he  steered  and 
came  nearer  he  saw  her  flinging  her  arms 
about  in  greater  excitement  than  he  had  ever 
known  her  to  be  in  before.  It  was  of  no  use 
for  Jim  to  try  to  get  his  jacket  on  her.  Her 
horror  at  the  sight  of  Bob's  wound  threw  her 
into  a  state  of  wild  distress,  and  when  the  cap- 
tain arrived  she  was  almost  in  hysterics.  She 
ran  to  and  fro  between  the  old  pier,  where  the 
captain  moored  his  boat,  and  the  group  of 
boys  gathered  on  the  beach  around  Bob,  in 
anguish  so  much  greater  because  she  had  no 
vent  for  it  in  speech,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
attend  to  Bob  at  all  until  she  was  quieted.  It 
was  thoughtful  Challey  who  accomplished  this. 
The  moment  the  captain  approached,  with  the 
panic-stricken  child  clinging  to  his  hands, 
his  knees,  any  part  of  him,  Challey  cried : 
"  Come  here  ;  this  side,  Capt'm  Pepper  !  /  '11 
take  care  of  Ranna,  so  you  can  take  care  of 
Bob !  "  and  he  had  forcibly  taken  Ranna's 
little  bare  arms  from  around  the  captain  and 
drawn  her  away.  Then,  while  the  captain  ex- 


92  THE  CHEZZLES. 

amined  and  rebound  Bob's  leg,  Challey  gave 
himself  to  the  task  of  soothing  the  little  mute, 
drawing  her  farther  and  farther  away  toward 
the  boat.  With  his  touch  the  extravagance  of 
her  fright  subsided,  and  when  Captain  Pep- 
per came,  carrying  Bob  in  his  arms,  Challey 
had  coaxed  her  to  put  Jim's  jacket  on  at  last, 
and  she  was  only  beating  her  hands  together 
and  moaning. 

Bob  was  all  right  now,  and,  with  his  arms 
tight  around  Captain  Pepper's  neck,  there  was 
no  fear  of  his  dying. 

"  I  ain't  going  to  die  at  all,  Challey ! "  he 
called,  as  soon  as  he  was  within  hearing  of  his 
brother.  "  And  Cap'm  Pepper  says  my  leg  ain't 
bitten  off,  either ;  there  's  plenty  of  it  left  for 
it  to  —  to  hitch  on  by  !  " 

That  was  an  immense  relief  to  little  Jim 
Holburn,  who  had  confidently  expected  to  see 
Bob's  leg  drop  off  when  the  captain  lifted  him 
from  the  ground. 

The  reaction  from  fright  and  anxiety  made 
the  boys  intensely  happy  now.  By  and  by, 
when  Bob  lay  on  a  bed  made  for  him  on  one 
of  the  seats,  with  Challey  sitting  on  a  box  be- 
side him,  and  they  told  the  captain  how  the  ac- 
cident had  happened,  Bob  was  feeling  not  at 
all  like  a  martyr,  but  like  a  hero  who  might 
even  be  envied. 


THE   CHEZZLES. 


93 


"I  tell  you  what,  Challey,"  he  said,  exult- 
ing in  the  experience,  "  there  won't  be  any  of 
the  boys  at  school  that  '11  have  anything  like 
this  leg  to  tell  about !  This  is  heaps  more 
wonderful  than  Fred  Wellington's  yachts  an' 
things  !  " 

But  ah1  the  cheerfulness  that  had  returned 
to  the  boys  could  not  drive  away  the  dazed, 
frightened  look  from  little  Ranna's  face.  She 
sat  pale  and  silent  all  the  way  home,  and  no- 
body could  coax  the  shadow  of  a  smile  from 
her. 


VII. 

THE  UTTER   USELESSNESS  OF  TRYING  TO  CONVINCE    MOLLY 
DOLAN  THAT  A  DOGFISH  IS   NOT  A  WHALE. 

/CAPTAIN  PEPPER  was  familiar  with  every 
\J  book  on  the  shelves  of  the  Nipsit  Library, 
except  those  in  the  "  Fiction  "  department.  He 
had  traveled  over  a  great  part  of  the  world's 
waters,  had  met  Stanley  on  the  coast  of  Africa, 
Agassiz  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  and  many  other 
great  men  who  liked  to  talk  with  him  quite  as 
much  as  he  did  with  them,  and  he  said  he  knew 
"  too  much  of  real  life  to  care  about  what  was 
made  up."  Pacts  were  strange  enough  for  him 
and  more  interesting  than  fiction.  But,  al- 
though so  fond  of  reading,  he  had  the  strong- 
est dislike  to  writing.  His  active  occupations 
by  day  were  out  of  all  harmony  with  pen  and 
ink.  After  he  had  dressed  Bob's  wound  prop- 
erly with  a  slice  of  fresh  pork,  and  supper  was 
over  with,  he  considered  it  an  easier  matter  to 


THE  CHEZZLES.  95 

hunt  up  somebody  who  was  going  to  Boston 
the  next  morning  and  would  undertake  to  have 
a  personal  interview  with  Mr.  Chezzle  and  tell 
him  all  about  it,  than  to  write  even  a  meagre 
account  of  the  accident.  Mrs.  Tuckit,  who 
came  to  sit  with  Bob  while  he  was  absent,  sug- 
gested that  he  might  telegraph ;  but  the  captain 
had  an  unconquerable  objection  to  sending 
messages  in  that  way. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  I  'm  goin'  to  do  ez  I  'd  be 
done  by.  /  was  n't  ever  telegraphed  to  by  any- 
body, an'  I  hope  I  won't  be.  I  don't  know 
any  kind  o'  news  that  spiles  by  keepin'  a  spell. 
Telegraphs  don't  make  good  news  any  better, 
and  the  only  thing  they  do  to  bad  news  is  to 
scare  a  man  out  of  his  senses  'fore  they  tell  it  to 
him  !  I  '11  look  round  and  see  who  's  going  by 
the  early  coach  ;  that 's  the  best  tack  to  take." 

After  a  short  search  he  found  Captain  Jones, 
who  not  only  intended  to  take  the  earliest  train 
from  West  Barnstable  for  Boston,  but  made 
the  practical  suggestion  that  he  should  accom- 
pany Captain  Pepper  home  and  see  Bob  for 
himself,  and  that  they  might  stop  on  the 
way  to  get  Dr.  Skorry  to  join  them,  that  the 
most  satisfactory  report  possible  might  be  con- 
veyed to  Mr.  Chezzle.  His  forethought  spared 
that  gentleman  more  anxiety  than  a  little,  for 


96  THE   CHEZZLES. 

young  Crissy  accompanied  his  father,  and  his 
embellishments  to  the  story  of  the  disaster  left 
poor  Bob  with  very  little  of  a  leg  to  stand 
upon.  As  an  eye-witness,  Crissy 's  testimony, 
if  considered  by  itself,  would  have  made  Mr. 
Chezzle's  hair  stand  on  end  with  horror. 

Although  spared  any  serious  alarm,  Mr. 
Chezzle  decided,  however,  that  he  would  go  to 
Nipsit  by  the  afternoon  train  and  take  Molly 
Dolan  with  him.  He  dispatched  a  note  to  her 
at  once,  directing  her  to  go  to  his  room,  pack 
a  bag  for  him,  and  to  meet  him  herself,  if  pos- 
sible, at  the  station.  When  he  reached  there, 
hot  and  breathless  from  hurry  and  hard  work, 
there  was  MoUy  already  in  the  car,  with  Mr. 
Chezzle's  valise  and  more  bundles  than  he  could 
count.  Her  face  was  fiery  red,  and  her  eyelids 
much  swollen  from  crying. 

"  Why,  Molly  !  Molly  !  "  said  Mr.  Chezzle, 
kindly,  taking  a  seat  beside  her.  "  It  is  n't  so 
bad  as  that !  Captain  Jones  has  seen  fish-bites 
a  great  deal  worse,  and  he  says  little  Bob  will 
do  finely." 

But  Molly  only  shook  with  sobs,  and  groaned 
into  her  handkerchief  :  "  Oh,  that  whale  !  that 
wha-a-le ! " 

"But  it  wasn't  a  whale,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle ; 
"  it  was  only  a  "  — 


THE   CHEZZLES.  97 

"  Don't  be  tellin'  me  that,  Mr.  Chizzle-if-ye- 
plaze-sir  with  a  contrivance  to  make  me  moind 
aisy !  "  said  Molly,  mournfully.  "  It 's  thim  sa- 
captins  don't  think  anny  more  o'  whales  than 
yersilf  does  of  a  hop-toad.  An'  it 's  Bob  the 
blessed  chilt  that  'd  walk  down  the  crathur's 
troat  he  wud,  as  aisy  as  he  'd  run  down  the 
back  stairs  after  his  rubber  ball !  Oh,  where 
was  Captin  Pepper  not  to  be  holdin'  him  back 
from  his  own  desthruction  ?  "  And  Molly  took 
a  clean  handkerchief  out  of  her  pocket  for  a 
fresh  burst  of  tears. 

"  But,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle,  "  Captain  Pepper 
could  not  imagine  that  Bob  would  dash  into 
the  water  to  nab  a  fish  four  times  his  own 
size  by  the  tail !  George  !  "  he  exclaimed  to 
himself,  taking  off  his  hat  to  wipe  his  forehead, 
as  the  perspiration  gathered  suddenly,  with  a 
pang  of  apprehension  as  to  what  Bob's  next 
inspiration  might  prompt  him  to  do.  But  he 
only  said  mildly  to  Molly :  "  We  must  n't 
blame  Captain  Pep  "  — 

"  Captain  Pepper  !  "  she  exclaimed,  stiffen- 
ing her  back  and  glaring  sideways  at  Mr.  Chez- 
zle. "  Pepper  !  I  '11  pepper  him  !  An'  it  '11 
be  red  pepper,  wid  mustard !  an'  vinegar !  an' 
bilin'  wather  to  mix  'em  wid !  Wait  till  I  set 
eyes  on  him  !  " 


98  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Mr.  Chezzle  thought  it  best  to  be  quiet 
and  let  Molly's  wrath  cool  awhile.  The  cars 
bumped  and  whizzed  along  noisily  for  some 
time,  and  then,  as  she  was  looking  out  of  the 
window  quietly,  he  thought  it  safe  to  remark  : 
"  See  what  fine  cranberry  patches  those  "  — 

"  An'  where  's  his  mind  gone  thin  ?  "  Molly 
interrupted,  rolling  her  eyes  again.  "  Cud  he 
take  wan  look  at  the  legs  o'  that  darlint,  an' 
not  know  they  'd  go  into  anny  place  in  the 
wurrild  the  first  chance  they  got  ?  No  —  he 
cuddent,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir,  no  he  cuddent !  The 
bye's  legs  spake  for  thimsilves  !  " 

So  they  continued  their  journey,  Molly  break- 
ing out  every  little  while  in  this  way.  Mr. 
Chezzle's  patience  was  inexhaustible.  He  knew 
that  Molly  would  lay  down  her  life  for  his  two 
boys,  if  it  was  necessary,  and  he  thought  she 
was  therefore  entitled  to  an  escape-valve  for 
her  feelings.  He  knew,  too,  that  it  was  after 
the  manner  of  her  wrath  to  expend  itself  in 
building  up  plans  for  vengeance,  and  to  think 
of  bitter  things  to  say,  but  that  the  plans  were 
never  carried  out  or  the  dreadful  things  .said. 

Her  imagination  had  never  worked  up  so 
many  reproaches,  nevertheless,  as  she  was  de- 
termined now  to  heap  upon  Captain  Pepper. 
However,  by  and  by  the  cars  jogged  her  into 


THE   CHEZZLES.  99 

a  state  of  drowsiness ;  she  snored,  and  Mr. 
Chezzle  read  his  paper,  thinking  that  she  was 
"  sleeping  it  off." 

But,  just  as  they  neared  their  station,  she 
roused,  jerked  herself  upright,  and  said,  omi- 
nously :  "  An'  I  '11  jist  ask  him  if  he  's  blind 
not  to  have  seen  it  in  his  legs  that  somethin' 
was  comin' !  "  If  the  conductor  had  not  cried, 
"  West  Barnstable  !  "  she* would  have  gone  on, 
no  doubt. 

But  she  had  to  be  packed  into  the  stage- 
coach with  all  her  bundles,  and  as  Mr.  Chezzle 
shared  the  front  seat  with  the  driver,  she  had 
no  further  opportunity  for  conversation. 

And  at  last  they  were  at  Captain  Pepper's 
gate ;  he  was  helping  her  out  himself.  Mrs. 
Tuckit  was  in  the  doorway,  smiling  and  cheery, 
calling  out  that  Bob  was  "  nicely  —  could  n't 
be  doing  better !  "  She  had  come  across  the 
road  to  help  get  supper,  in  case  Mr.  Chezzle 
came.  The  captain  was  carrying  Molly's  trunk 
up  stairs,  Challey  was  hugging  papa  who  was 
paying  the  driver,  Bob  was  calling  out  lustily 
from  the  sitting-room  where  he  was  propped  up 
on  the  sofa,  and  where  papa's  supper  was  laid. 
Molly  was  hustled  into  the  house,  she  did  n't 
know  how,  and,  the  minute  papa's  hug  was 
over,  was  down  on  her  knees  beside  Bob,  so 


100  THE   CHEZZLES. 

glad  at  the  sight  of  his  tousled  hair  and  honest 
little  face  that  her  heart  was  full  of  nothing 
but  kindliness. 

With  everybody  talking  at  once,  nobody  un- 
derstood anything  for  a  little  while,  but  the 
sight  of  the  boys,  ruddy  and  sunburnt,  was 
enough.  Mrs.  Tuckit  took  Molly  into  the  kit- 
chen, and  not  only  gave  her  her  supper,  but 
answered  her  questions.  And  when  she  learned 
that  the  captain  had  not  only  prepared  his  best 
room  for  Mr.  Chezzle,  but  that  one  was  ready 
for  her  too,  and  that  she,  Molly  Dolan,  was  to 
be  treated  as  a  guest  in  "  Luella's  house,"  the 
last  spark  of  her  resentment  vanished. 

"  I  did  n't  know  as  anybody  'd  come,"  said 
Captain  Pepper  ;  "  but  I  thought  it  'd  go  hard 
with  ye  to  stay  away,  an'  it  would  n't  do  any 
harm  to  have  the  decks  cleared  an'  the  fo'- 
castle  ready.  So  make  yourselves  at  home  an' 
carry  full  sail  if  ye  like,  an'  report  to  headquar- 
ters if  everything  about  the  riggin'  ain't  as  it 
should  be ! " 

Face  to  face  with  Captain  Pepper,  Molly  never 
mentioned  mustard  or  vinegar !  He  gained 
ground  with  her  at  once  by  not  disputing  the 
identity  of  the  fish,  and  his  own  distress  over 
the  accident  rendered  it  necessary  to  console 
him,  and  made  fault-finding  impossible. 


THE  CHEZZLES.  101 

Before  going  to  bed,  Molly  stepped  lightly 
to  the  sitting-room  door  where  Mr.  Chezzle,  hav- 
ing seen  Bob  comfortably  stowed  away  for  the 
night,  was  alone. 

"  Whisht  now,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir !  "  she  said, 
in  a  whisper.  "  If  ye  plaze  ye  '11  not  be  sayin' 
a  wurrid  about  anny  remarks  I  might  be  afther 
makin'  on  the  jarney  !  I  've  had  a  conversay- 
shun  wid  him,  and  he  's  that  mild  an'  sinsible ! 
he  agraze  wid  me  now,  parfectly  does  the  cap- 
tin,  an'  he  '11  not  let  the  byes  play  wid  the 
whale  anny  more  !  He  's  come  to  it,  an'  he  's 
decided  it  now,  that  whales  is  dangerous  coorn- 
pany  for  young  childers  !  Whisht  now  !  He  's 
retarnin' ! "  And  Molly  was  beaming  as  she 
added  aloud :  "  An'  I  '11  bid  yez  swate  drames 
an'  a  good  night's  rest,  Mr.  Chizzle  an'  Captain 
Pepper-sir ! " 

Molly  had  only  one  worry  connected  with 
the  captain's  unusual  hospitality,  and,  anxious 
to  express  it,  she  urged  Mrs.  Tuckit  to  accom- 
pany her  to  her  room,  before  going  home. 
When  she  had  closed  the  door  carefully  she  in- 
vited Mrs.  Tuckit  to  take  a  seat.  Then,  still 
carrying  the  light,  she  trod  on  tiptoe  while  she 
opened  in  turn  every  door  in  the  room  and 
looked  cautiously  to  see  what  was  behind  it. 

"  For   mercy's    sake,   Molly,   what   are   you 


102  THE   CHEZZLES. 

looking  for  ?  "  asked  Mrs:  Tuckit,  after  telling 
her  where  three  of  the  doors  led. 

"  Whisht  now,  Mrs.  Tickles-mum,  till  I  'm 
troo,  an'  I  '11  tell  yez.  An'  if  ye  plaze  what  's 
behint  this  shart  one  in  under  the  slant  ? " 
Molly  had  to  bend  down  to  open  it. 

"  Oh,  that 's  for  anything ;  it 's  the  eaves- 
closet,"  answered  Mrs.  Tuckit.  "  It 's  low,  but 
it 's  long  and  handy  for  brooms.  Aunt  Luella 
used  to  keep  her  piece-bags  there." 

"  Well,  I  'd  fale  best  to  lock  it,"  said  Molly, 
turning  the  button.  "  And  this  ?  "  opening 
another,  but  she  shut  it  immediately,  ex- 
claiming :  "  Och !  but  it  's  big  an'  dark  in 
there !  " 

"  Of  course ;  that  is  the  back  attic,  and  it 
has  no  plastering,  only  the  rough  beams  and 
rafters.  But  I  don't  see  what  you  care  so 
much  for,"  said  Mrs.  Tuckit,  a  little  tried  by 
Molly's  curiosity,  and  rising  to  go. 

"  Oh,  wait  jist  a  minute  longer  an'  I  '11  tell  ye 
now,  Mrs.  Tickles-mum,"  said  Molly,  setting 
the  candle  on  a  corner  of  the  high,  narrow 
mantelpiece.  "  It 's  only  —  only  —  I  fale  jist 
a  wakeness  come  over  me  whin  I  think  of  —  of 
—  of  Captin  Pepper's  —  his  —  you  know  — 
he  's  always  talkin'  about  her  —  his  wife  that 
was !  " 


THE   CHEZZLES.  103 

"0  Molly!  Molly!  What  are  you  afraid 
of  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Tuckit,  laughing.  "  Ghosts  ?  " 

"  Oh  no  —  no  !  "  cried  MoUy.  "  But  he  's 
that  par-tickerlar,  an'  he  's  that  fatiguin'-like, 
tellin'  jist  how  6  Lewella '  did  this  an'  '  Lew- 
ella '  did  that !  And  Lewella,  she  's  that  con- 
tinyal,  that  I  fale  mesilf  onaisy  for  fear  she 
might  be  lookin'  on  if  I  —  if  I  did  annything 
the  wrong  way  like  !  " 

Molly's  tone  and  manner  were  so  honestly 
anxious  that  Mrs.  Tuckit  said  cheerfully  :  "  Oh, 
you  need  not  worry  a  single  minute,  Molly. 
Luella  Pepper  was  a  good  woman.  She  never 
made  a  soul  uncomfortable  in  her  lifetime.  And 
you  are  so  neat  and  careful,  MoUy,  that  I  told 
Captain  Pepper,  when  he  got  it  into  his  head  that 
you  'd  be  likely  to  come  and  he  'd  have  a  room 
ready  for  you ;  I  said  :  '  Uncle  Zenas,  Molly  is  a 
girl  after  Aunt  Luella's  own  heart.  Her  ways  '11 
be  Luella's  ways  —  you  see  if  they  won't.' 
And  you  know  you  've  been  coming  to  Nipsit 
a  good  many  summers,  Molly,  with  Mr.  Chez- 
zle's  family,  and  I  know  you  pretty  well.  So 
go  to  bed,  and  go  to  sleep,  and  don't  worry 
a  mite.  Uncle  Zenas  needs  the  help,  now  Bob 
is  laid  up.  He  has  let  me  help  him  since  yes- 
terday for  the  first  time  since  Aunt  Luella 
died,  and  I  was  thankful  when  I  saw  you  get 
out  of  the  coach,  for  you  can  save  him  heaps 


104  THE   CHEZZLES. 

of  work  and  trouble."  Molly's  face  cleared 
more  and  more  as  Mrs.  Tuckit  spoke,  and  she 
bade  her  a  serene  good-night. 

"  All  the  same,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  I  '11  set 
the  candle  on  the  table  beside  me,  so  I  can  blow 
it  out  afther  I  'm  safe  in  the  bed  !  "  But  she 
was  a  little  taken  aback  when  she  had  tied  on 
her  nightcap,  and  was  ready  to  get  into  bed, 
by  the  height  she  was  expected  to  climb,  the 
"  feather-tick  "  on  top  of  the  mattress  being 
about  on  a  level  with  her  waist. 

"  How  a  shart  woman  like  me  is  goin'  to  rise 
to  that !  "  she  said.  "  Missus  Lewella  must  a' 
been  a  tahl  one  !  " 


VIII. 

HOW  MARIA  BOUNCED  INTO  THE  LITTLE  OFFICE  AND  TOOK 
A  DARK  GENTLEMAN  INTO  HER  CONFIDENCE. 

ONE  bright  morning  at  Meaux,  Maria  Penroy 
was  pushing  an  elegant  toy  carriage 
around  the  garden,  airing  her  precious  doll, 
Marguerite  Helene,  and  a  new  pink  parasol. 
She  was  enjoying  immensely  the  additional 
dignity  which  the  parasol  seemed  to  give  her, 
arid  that,  combined  with  the  motherly  solicitude 
she  was  full  of  for  the  doll,  made  the  occasion 
perfect  for  about  ten  minutes.  Then  the 
kitten,  coming  out  from  under  the  piazza,  rec- 
ognized her  favoritetplaythings,  Maria's  dainty 
heels,  and  immediately  hid  behind  a  flower-pot 
to  he  in  wait  for  them.  At  the  same  moment 
Dr.  Frediqueue  descended  from  his  buggy  at 
the  end  of  the  path.  Maria,  unconscious  and 
happy,  was  studying  the  best  pose  for  the  par- 
asol, when  the  kitten's  opportunity  came,  and 

(105) 


106  THE   CHEZZLES. 

she  seized  one  of  the  heels.  Maria  gave  a  leap, 
cried  out,  and  allowed  the  parasol  to  bounce 
recklessly  into  the  eyes  of  Marguerite.  She 
might  have  managed  the  situation,  however,  if 
she  had  not  caught  sight  of  Dr.  Frediqueue 
rapidly  walking  towards  her.  She  at  once 
abandoned  her  heels  to  the  kitten,  whose  teeth 
were  sharp,  turned  suddenly,  bumped  and 
bounced  the  carriage,  parasol,  doll,  kitten,  and 
herself  into  the  first  refuge  through  an  open 
door  at  her  side.  Then  she  shut  the  door  with 
a  bang,  and  jumped  upon  a  window-seat  to  peep 
through  the  glass  in  order  to  see  if  Dr.  Fredi- 
queue had  perceived  and  was  following  her, 
not  noticing  that  Marguerite  and  the  parasol 
had  rolled  upon  the  floor  together.  But,  be- 
fore she  had  a  chance  to  satisfy  herself  con- 
cerning the  objectionable  doctor,  she  saw  a 
shadow  move,  close  beside  her,  and  beheld  the 
grim  face  of  a  tall,  dark  man  looking  sharply 
at  her.  That  was  a  climax  to  her  power  of 
endurance.  She  gave  a  gasp  and  screamed. 

"  Don't  be  frightened,  my  child  !  "  said  the 
gentleman,  in  a  fine,  gentle  voice.  "  See  !  I 
think  no  harm  is  done.  The  point  of  the  para- 
sol has  become  entangled  in  her  pretty  hair, 
so  "  —  He  had  removed  it  and  gravely  seated 
the  doll  against  some  books  on  his  writing- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  107 

table.  "  She  is  quite  composed  now  ;  she  only 
cried  out  because  of  the  pain  !  " 

"  Ah !  "  said  Maria,  smiling  into  the  dark 
face,  with  intense  relief .  "  It  was  /  screamed. 
Marguerite  did  not;  you  know  that,  Mon- 
sieur ! " 

"  Yes  ?  "  asked  the  grave  voice.  "  But  she 
would  like  her  curls  smoothed  again,  no  doubt. 
I  would  do  it,  if  I  knew  how ;  but  I  have  no 
little  girl  to  teach  me."  He  leaned  back  in  his 
chair  and  folded  his  hands  quietly  on  the  table. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Maria,  stepping  down  from  the 
window-seat  and  going  to  her  doll.  "  What  a 
pity  that  is,  Monsieur  !  Because  you  are  polite 
to  dolls  —  so  very  polite.  But  Monsieur  le 
Docteur  Frediqueue !  He,  is  not  polite  —  not  at 
all  polite  to  my  Marguerite !  He  has  called  my 
Marguerite  a  thing  that  is  f oolish !  Think  of 
that !  So  I  run  to  hide  myself  when  he  comes 
near.  May  I  stay  in  here,  Monsieur,  until  le  Doc- 
teur Frediqueue  goes  away  ?  I  will  sit  on  the 
window-seat  so  my  little  cat  shall  not  bite  my 
feet."  Maria  was  stooping  to  rub  her  suifering 
ankles,  while  she  continued  :  "  And  I  will  not 
speak  at  all,  so  you  can  write.  Often  my  chere 
Tante  writes  long,  long  times,  and  I  do  not 
speak  one  word,  only  to  Marguerite." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  write  now,  my  little  girl," 


108  THE  CHEZZLES, 

said  the  gentleman.  "  You  may  sit  in  this 
easy-chair,  if  you  like,  and  we  will  give  your 
kitten  something  else  to  play  with.  So  —  she 
has  found  the  curtain-tassel.  And  what  do 
you  do  while  your  aunt  is  writing  ?  " 

Maria  wheeled  the  chair  a  little  nearer  the 
table,  curled  herself  up  in  it  comfortably  with 
her  doll,  and  proceeded  to  give  her  new  friend 
the  details  of  her  life  with  a  summary  of  the 
perfections  of  her  aunt  and  the  two  cousins  in 
America. 

"  And  I  wish  I  could  write  fast  like  chere 
Tante !  Then  I  would  make  big  letters  to 
send  to  my  cousins  Shallee  and  Fob.  But  it 
is  much  hard  work  to  write  one  little  small 
letter  !  "  and  she  heaved  a  sigh. 

"  But  you  shah1  write  as  long  ones  as  you 
choose,  my  child,"  said  her  friend.  "  See  "  — 
drawing  some  paper  towards  him  and  dipping 
a  pen  into  the  ink  —  "  you  may  tell  me  what 
to  say,  and  I  will  write  it  down  for  you,  word 
for  word,  just  as  you  say  it." 

"  Ah  !  what  fun  that  will  be  !  "  cried  Maria, 
springing  to  her  feet  to  stand  close  to  the 
table  upon  which  she  rested  her  folded  arms. 
"  But,"  she  added,  looking  suddenly  anx- 
ious, "  my  cousins  cannot  read  French  words 
at  all!" 


THE   CHEZZLES.  109 

"  We  will  have  it  in  English,  then,"  said  the 
gentleman.  "  Begin  !  " 

"  0  that  is  fine  think  !  "  she  cried,  breaking 
out  into  her  funny  English  ;  "  an'  you  will 
make  a  lettre  for  me  more  pig  than  chere 
Tante's.  My  cousins  they  shall  haf  one  lettre 
fot  is  pig,  pig,  pigger  zan  she  kent  mite.  An' 
I  keep  zat  a  secrette.  You  fill  not  tell  no- 
tings  to  ma  tante,  Monsieur  ?  "  she  asked  anx- 
iously. Her  friend  promised,  and  she  contin- 
ued her  dictation  in  such  a  droll  mixture  of 
French,  English,  and  "  sailore  words,"  that  she 
required  considerable  help.  But  her  amanuen- 
sis tried  to  preserve  the  general  character  of 
what  she  said. 

"  My  fine  cousins,"  she  dictated,  "  I  luf  not 
Monsieur  le  Docteur  Frediqueue.  He  iss  not 
polite  to  my  Marguerite  and  I  luf  not  more 
M.  le  Docteur  De  la  Quille.  But  all  the  house 
luf  Tante  Helene.  She  iss  mine.  She  make 
my  Marguerite  much  robes.  My  papa  luf  my 
goot  toll  Marguerite  Helene  Sche-zelle  Penneroi 
ant  he  gif  me  twenty  francs  to  puy  for  her  a 
punk.  But  the  clerks  in  the  stores  they  laugh 
ant  they  are  like  le  Docteur  Frediqueue.  They 
are  not  polite  when  they  know  not  what  is 
punk.  I  tell  to  Papa  how  they  laugh,  and  he 
look  severe.  He  say  they  are  much  dull  that 


110  THE   CHEZZLES. 

they  know  not  sailore  words.  And  it  make 
him  feel  sad  that  they  laugh  at  me.  He  put 
the  blanket  to  cover  his  face  and  he  shake. 
He  tell  me  it  is  the  chill  —  my  poor  papa  !  If 
my  Papa  could  to  go  with  me  to  the  Palais 
Royale  he  tell  me  he  t  will  say  to  the  clerks  and 
to  Monsieur  le  proprietaire,  '  Beelay ! '  I 
know  not  that  word.  Papa  say  they  will  be 
frighten  and  fear  to  speak  and  laugh  if  they 
hear  (  Belay  ! '  Papa  like  me  to  learn  Eng- 
lish, so  he  tell  me  many  words.  I  read  to  him 
the  lettres  what  you  send  to  my  Tante.  He 
tell  me  you  are  '  fine,  leetle  shaps.'  I  ask 
him  what  is  '  shaps/  an'  he  tell  me  it  mean 
to  say  '  sha  -  veurs.'  My  papa  tell  me  fine 
think.  He  tell  me  I  go  with  Suzanne  to-mor- 
row to  Paris  to  buy  fine  ships  for  my  nice 
leetle  sha-veurs."  Maria  went  on  dictating  for 
some  time  longer  until  she  heard  Suzanne's 
voice  calling  her.  Then  it  was  necessary  to 
settle  the  doll  again  in  its  carriage  and  leave 
the  cosy  little  office. 

"But  I  will  come  again  to-morrow  morning, 
Monsieur,  to  finish  my  letter,"  she  called,  after 
getting  once  more  outside  of  the  door.  "  And 
my  little  cat  shall  stay  there  sleeping  in  your 
window  until "  —  here  she  came  back  to  say 
quite  confidentially  —  "  until  M.  le  Docteur 


THE   CHEZZLES.  Ill 

shall  go  away.  Then,  put  her  out,  if  you 
please,  Monsieur,  because  it  will  not  matter 
so  much  if  she  runs  to  catch  his  feet  with 
her  little  teeth !  "  And  Maria  hurried  away 
without  another  word. 

During  her  short  visit  she  and  the  dark 
gentleman  had  become  intimate  friends,  much 
to  the  wonder  of  Suzanne,  who  asked  her  "  how 
in  the  world  she  had  dared  to  venture  into  that 
dismal  hole  of  a  room  where  nobody  ever  went, 
and  where  the  awful  countenance  of  Monsieur 
le  Secretaire  d'Etat  was  enough  to  frighten  a 
brigand  ! " 

But  Maria  was  not  communicative,  for  the 
moment  she  told  Suzanne  she  had  been  hiding 
from  Dr.  Frediqueue,  the  maid  cried  out  in  dis- 
may at  the  thought  of  anybody  running  away 
from  such  a  charming  and  amiable  gentleman. 

At  the  same  moment  the  dark  gentleman, 
watching  them  from  the  office  window,  was 
wondering  whether  the  doctor's  rude  manners 
to  Maria's  doll  were  enough  to  account  for  the 
child's  aversion. 


IX. 


SHOWS  HOW  WELL  A  LITTLE    GIRL    CAN   SELECT   BOATS   IN 
PARIS  FOR  BOYS    IN  AMERICA. 

From  Mrs.  Chezzle's  Journal. 

JULY  17.  The  two  doctors  asked  me  to  meet 
them  this  A.  M.  in  the  library  and  made 
so  much  fuss  about  a  communication  which 
they  had  to  make  to  me  that  I  prepared  my 
mind  for  something  tremendous.  When,  after 
working  up  my  imagination  to  the  highest 
pitch,  they  informed  me  only  that  my  brother 
had  made  his  will,  I  was  indignant  and  en- 
joyed provoking  them  a  little  by  my  coolness. 

"  Very  well ;  it  would  be  no  business  of 
mine  if  he  made  forty,"  I  said.  But  they 
went  on  to  say  that  he  had  not  signed  the  will, 
and  they  wanted  me  to  get  him  to  do  it.  I 
flared  a  little  when  they  began  to  hint  at  the 
misfortune  which  it  might  be  to  me,  "  in  case 
Monsieur  may  have  made  some  provision  for 


THE   CHEZZLES.  113 

his  devoted  sister."  I  broke  out  at  once  and 
let  them  know  that  an  American  woman  was 
capable  of  being  disinterested.  I  mentioned 
"  my  husband  "  with  great  dignity  several  times, 
said  lie  was  able  and  glad  to  support  me,  that 
I  was  here  to  think  of  the  life,  not  the  death 
of  my  brother,  and  refused  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  his  will.  But  they  made  me  feel 
ashamed  of  my  anger  in  two  minutes,  and  I 
found  that  they  thought  Tom  had  the  matter 
on  his  mind,  and  that  it  was  the  cause  of  his 
restless  nights.  They  praised  "  the  noble  in- 
dependence of  Madame  and  her  beautiful,  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  to  her  brother."  They  too, 
they  said,  had  not  the  remotest  interest  in 
the  disposition  of  Monsieur's  wealth  ;  it  was 
"  simply  to  obtain  sleep  and  rest  for  his  poor 
exhausted  frame  that  they  wished  him  to  sign 
his  will."  They  said  they  had  not  failed  to 
perceive  how  great  was  my  influence  over 
"  Monsieur  Pennaroi,"  and  that  it  was  becom- 
ing stronger  every  day.  Tom  had  asked  them 
to  witness  the  will,  it  seems,  so  really  it  is  more 
their  business  than  mine,  and  I  am  sorry  I  was 
so  hasty.  Of  course  I  apologized  and  promised 
to  seize  the  first  opportunity  to  obtain  the  sig- 
nature, if  I  could ;  and  they  offered  to  come 
at  once,  on  a  message  from  me,  to  witness  it. 


114  THE   CHEZZLES. 

They  are  most  kind,  for  they  must  have  an  im- 
mense practice,  and  an  extra  visit  to  the  house 
is  always  difficult  for  them  to  arrange.  I  asked 
if  it  would  not  be  best  for  my  brother  to  see 
his  lawyers,  but  they  objected  seriously  and 
gave  their  reasons.  They  declared  that  Messrs. 
Roubaix  and  Duvergne  had  nearly  caused 
Tom's  death,  when  they  had  drawn  up  his 
will,  by  their  violent  opposition  to  his  dis- 
posal of  his  property.  "  They  made  an  effort 
which  was  almost  superhuman,"  said  M.  De  la 
Quille,  "  to  thwart  the  generous  and  benevo- 
lent designs  of  our  noble  patient.  But  we 
came  to  his  rescue.  We  convinced  him  that 
his  lawyers,  in  their  study  how  to  obtain  the 
largest  possible  revenue  from  his  property  and 
that  of  other  estates,  had  become  hardened 
against  the  claims  of  humanity  !  They  could 
not  understand  the  great  love  of  humanity  in 
the  soul  of  such  a  man  as  Madame  Shezelle's 
brother  !  "  etc.,  etc.  Then  they  went  on  to  say 
that,  but  for  the  interference  of  these  lawyers, 
the  will  would  have  been  signed  long  ago. 
And  they  made  no  attempt  to  conceal  from  me 
that  they  had  used  their  influence  with  Tom 
to  estrange  him  as  much  as  possible  from 
Messrs.  Roubaix  and  Duvergne.  So  now  I  un- 
derstand why  the  doctors  have  forbidden  us  to 


THE   CHEZZLES.  115 

tell  Tom  how  often  M.  Duvergne  calls  to  inquire 
about  him. 

Two  other   grentlemen  come  to  see  him  and 

O 

have  long  interviews  without  doing  him  the 
least  harm.  They  look  clerical  and  are  mis- 
sionaries. Tom  told  me  one  day  that  they 
were  giving  their  lives  to  a  very  noble  purpose, 
—  the  establishment  of  some  kind  of  colony  in 
the  island  of  Madagascar,  —  something  to  en- 
courage education  among  the  natives.  I  know 
you  '11  laugh  at  that ;  but  perhaps,  if  I  under- 
stood more  about  it,  you  would  not. 

July  18.  Tom  has  Maria  with  him  half  the 
time.  She  is  a  darling  child  —  innocent  and 
winning.  He  has  talked  so  oddly  to  her  about 
his  death  that  I  think  she  has  an  unconscious 
idea  that  he  can  arrange  to  go  to  heaven  or 
not,  as  he  pleases.  But  I  think  she  would  be 
as  completely  overwhelmed  by  the  actual  event 
as  if  she  had  never  heard  it  hinted  at.  Noth- 
ing pleases  her  so  much  as  the  children's 
letters.  She  studies  all  their  "  sailore  talk," 
and  takes  pride  in  bringing  it  out  on  all  occa- 
sions. And  Tom  takes  a  mischievous  delight 
in  making  her  repeat  it  to  him.  Fancy  her, 
with  her  refined,  delicate  manner,  asking  an 
exquisite  French  clerk  to  show  her  a  "  bunk  " 
for  her  doll !  She  gave  up  her  search  for  a 


116  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  torshent,"  as  the  storekeepers  invariably  pro- 
duced dish-toweling.  And  now  I  expect  her 
to  bring  out  "  Belay  !  "  under  the  most  awk- 
ward circumstances.  That  contamination  comes 
direct  from  Tom  —  not  from  our  precious 
boys. 

July  22.  I  have  a  strange  mixture  of  things 
to  tell  you.  In  the  first  place,  Tom  is  going 
to  send  our  boys  two  enormous  toy  boats, 
the  like  of  which  they  have  never  seen.  Oh, 
if  I  could  see  their  dear  faces  when  Captain 
Pepper  opens  the  boxes  !  Tom  ordered  Su- 
sanne  to  take  Maria  to  the  largest  toy  store  in 
Paris  and  allow  her  to  select  exactly  what  she 
wanted.  I  was  sitting  in  his  room  last  evening 
when  the  child  opened  the  door,  and  the  boats 
were  brought  in  for  Tom  to  see.  He  had  told 
Maria  to  order  them  sent  here  so  that  Antoine, 
who  is  a  universal  genius  and  a  connoisseur 
in  boats,  might  inspect  and  box  them  up  with 
especial  care.  You  will  not  understand  my 
dismay  until  you  see  the  size  of  them.  I  sug- 
gested having  them  sailed  over  to  America  by 
a  couple  of  skippers  as  the  easiest  way  to  send 
them.  But  the  boats  surprised  me  less  than 
Tom,  who,  propped  up  in  bed,  laughed  until  I 
was  afraid  he  would  have  hysteria.  I  thought, 
of  course,  that  the  matter  would  be  treated  as 


THE   CHEZZLES.  117 

a  joke  and  the  gigantic  toys  returned  to  the 
store.  But  Tom  silenced  me,  insisting  that  he 
and  Maria  understood  each  other  perfectly. 
He  told  her  that  she  was  a  capital  shopper,  and 
since  he  found  he  could  rely  upon  her,  that  he 
would  give  her  further  commissions.  He  de- 
manded paper  and  pencil,  and  wrote  off  a  list 
of  things  which  Antoine  is  to  obtain,  or  make, 
and  put  into  the  boxes.  He  grew  so  excited 
that  he  forgot  the  pillows  behind  him,  sat  up 
straight,  and  carried  on  so  with  Maria  that  he 
had  her  skipping  all  over  the  room,  in  peals  of 
laughter.  It  alarmed  me,  but  I  was  helpless. 
I  tried  to  make  him  see  the  absurdity  of  send- 
ing such  extravagant  gifts  to  our  little  in- 
nocent boys,  who  think  shingles  pointed  at  one 
end,  with  sticks  for  masts,  perfectly  satisfactory 
ships.  I  begged  him  to  lie  down  and  let 
Maria  go  to  bed,  warned  him  that  he  would 
not  sleep  a  wink,  etc.,  etc.  But  not  a  word 
would  he  reply  to  me  except  (  Gammon  ! ' 

"  Tom  !  Tom  dear  !  "  I  urged,  for  I  was  really 
worried ;  "  remember  the  doctors'  orders  !  " 

"  I  will !  "  he  said  ;  "  thank  you  for  remind- 
ing me.  You  can  tell  them  '  Gammon  ! '  also." 
Then  he  called  Maria  to  his  side  and  said, 
"  Maria,  I  can  depend  upon  you  to  do  exactly 
what  I  ask  you,  my  child?  " 


118  THE  CHEZZLES. 

"  Oui,  papa,"  she  said,  very  attentive  immedi- 
ately. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  seriously.  "  Then  I 
want  you  to  be  very  polite  indeed  to  messieurs 
les  docteurs,  and  to  tell  M.  Frediqueue  that 
papa  desires  you  to  say  to  him  l  Gammon  ! ' 
Can  you  say  that  ?  " 

"  Oui,  papa,  certainement,"  she  answered. 
"  I  will  say  it  so  :  '  M.  le  Docteur  Frediqueue, 
mon  papa  vous  present  ses  compliments,  et 
desire  que  je  vous  dise,  Ga-monne  ! ' 

"  That  is  it,  exactly,  my  darling !  "  cried 
Tom.  "  And  I  want  you  to  tell  M.  De  la 
Quille  that  papa  desires  you  to  say  to  him, 
'  Gammon  and  spinach  ! '  Let  me  hear  you  re- 
peat that." 

"  Ga-monne  et  spee-nadge !  "  repeated  Maria, 
sweetly. 

"  That  is  near  enough,  dear,"  said  Tom, 
without  a  smile.  "  Try  '  spinach '  once  more." 

And  the  scamp  actually  amused  himself  with 
the  child's  struggles  to  say  the  word,  which  was 
so  difficult  for  her  that  she  fairly  gnashed  her 
teeth  over  it. 

The  worst  of  it  is  that  Maria  is  quite  inca- 
pable of  taking  a  joke.  I  told  her  afterwards 
that  her  father  only  meant  a  little  pleasantry ; 
but  she  looked  up  at  me  with  surprise,  and  said 


THE   CHEZZLES.  119 

so  earnestly,  "  Oh  no,  chere  Tante  !  He  was 
quite  serious,  I  am  sure ! "  that  I  said  no 
more.  My  only  comfort  is  that  the  gentlemen 
will  not  understand  the  message,  and  if  they 
ask  Tom  for  an  explanation,  he  will  have  his 
own  to  give. 

But  his  behavior  last  evening,  followed  as 
it  was  by  an  excellent  night  and  a  demand  for 
eggs  and  toast  for  breakfast,  lead  me  not  only 
to  think  that  he  is  decidedly  better,  but  to 
wonder  whether  it  is  so  certain,  after  all,  that 
he  is  going  to  die.  In  any  case,  it  deprived 
me  of  an  occasion  to  broach  to  him  the  subject 
of  the  will.  It  also  decided  me  to  adopt  a  new 
course.  Instead  of  confiding  to  the  doctors 
every  circumstance,  I  am  going  to  quietly  ob- 
serve Tom  by  myself.  I  am  the  more  deter- 
mined because  when  I  inquired  of  Dr.  Fredi- 
queue  this  morning  how  he  found  his  patient, 
he  answered  :  "  No  worse  perhaps  !  Madame, 
by  keeping  him  quiet  and  free  from  all  excite- 
ment, composes  his  nerves  somewhat,  but  he 
grows  weaker  —  much  weaker  !  "  And  he  or- 
dered no  nourishment  except  toast-water  and 
milk.  I  began  to  wonder  whether,  after  all, 
the  doctors  understood  Tom's  case. 

July  23.  Tom  develops  new  peculiarities 
every  day.  He  has  refused  to  take  any  medi- 


120  THE  CHEZZLES. 

cine  for  a  week  past  except  from  Maria.  An- 
toine,  his  attendant,  prepares  every  dose  at  the 
appointed  time  and  leaves  it  on  the  mantelshelf. 
Tom  says  quietly :  "  I  will  take  it  when  Mile. 
Maria  comes."  He  also  takes  all  his  nourishment 
from  her,  and  will  receive  it  from  no  one  else. 

I  broached  the  subject  of  the  will  this  morn- 
ing, and  was  surprised  to  find  Tom  rather 
pleased  to  talk  about  it.  We  had  really  the 
longest  and  most  satisfactory  conversation  we 
have  had  at  all,  and  I  learned  more  about  his 
past  life  than  I  have  ever  known  before.  He 
said  he  owed  his  prosperity  to  nobody  but 
Dame  Fortune  herself.  It  was  simple  luck, 
nothing  else ;  he  had  tumbled  into  it.  A 
friend  of  his,  a  poor  fellow  who  never  had 
any  luck  in  his  life,  was  on  the  verge  of  ruin 
and  wanted  to  sell  a  lot  of  land  in  Australia. 
Tom  bought  it  out  of  sheer  friendship,  without 
ever  having  seen  it.  After  a  year  or  two, 
needing  money  to  put  into  his  business,  he  be- 
thought himself  of  the  land,  and  went  out  to 
look  at  it,  leaving  Maria  with  her  nurse  in 
Paris.  His  wife  was  not  living.  Tom  speaks 
of  his  wife  with  great  feeling  and  loved  her 
devotedly. 

When  he  reached  Australia  he  learned  that 
his  friend  had  died,  and  that  the  land  covered 


THE   CHEZZLES.  121 

valuable  mines.  I  liked  Tom's  way  of  telling 
about  it.  He  said  : 

"  I  don't  care  for  money,  Helen.  I  believe 
it  has  caused  me  more  pain  to  think  that 
Maria's  mother  never  had  the  benefit  of  my 
wealth,  and  that  Peters,  poor  old  fellow  !  never 
knew  what  he  parted  with  in  selling  me  that 
land,  to  say  nothing  of  father  and  mother  — 
I  believe  all  that  has  given  me  more  pain,  so 
far,  than  the  money  has  pleasure.  I  had  more 
real  fun  in  buying  your  boys  those  boats  than 
money  ever  gave  me  before." 

"  But,  Tom,"  I  said,  "  your  wife  —  my  sister  " 
He  reached  for  my  hand  and  kissed  it  as  if  it 
might  have  been  the  queen's. 

"  Yes  ?  "  he  said  softly.  "  What  about  her  ?  " 

"  You  took  good  care  of  her ;  she  never 
suffered  for  mone^  "  — 

"  No,  thank  God  !  not  after  I  found  her  !  " 
he  cried.  "  I  earned  enough  to  give  her  and 
our  baby  all  they  ever  wanted,  and  it  was 
wealth  and  luxury  to  her.  We  paid  our  bills." 

Well,  he  went  on  for  a  long  time,  and  told 
me  how  he  had  fyad  dreamy  plans  about  send- 
ing gifts  home. 

"  But  father  and  mother  had  gone,"  he  said ; 
"  and  to  tell  the  truth,  little  sister,  I  have  been 
indifferent  to  everything  and  everybody  except 


122  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Maria.  I  knew  you  were  somewhere,  but  I  did 
not  know  what  kind  of  a  woman  you  had 
turned  out,  and  I  did  n't  know  Chezzle's  cir- 
cumstances, and  "  — 

Of  course  I  would  n't  let  him  go  into  ex- 
planations why  he  had  not  sent  me  money  ;  so  I 
interrupted  him,  and  I  know  I  was  as  red  in 
the  face  as  little  Bob  gets  when  he  is  excited. 
"  Well,  Chezzle  is  a  high  and  mighty  charac- 
ter, Tom,"  I  cried,  "and  the  most  obstinately 
independent  man  that  ever  was  born  under  the 
American  flag.  Nothing  in  the  world  would 
make  him  madder  than  to  suppose  he  could  not 
support  his  wife  and  children  without  am/- 
body's help,  and  he  has  only  one  fault  in  his 
whole  being,  —  he  works  too  hard,  and  won't 
take  comfort  as  he  ought,  in  the  belief  that  if 
a  man  does  his  best  without  shirking,  and  is 
content  and  proud  because  he  is  able  to  make 
an  honest  living  —  no  matter  how  small  it  is  — 
and  John  is  all  that  —  why  "  — 

I  stopped  because  I  could  n't  think  fast 
enough  of  the  words  I  wanted.  Tom  had  risen 

o 

on  his  elbow  and  reached  again  for  my  hand, 
exclaiming : 

"  Why  what,  little  sister  ?  " 

"  Why,"  I  cried,  "  it  is  good  for  a  woman, 
and  for  children  too,  to  make  sacrifices  some- 


THE  CHEZZLES.  123 

times !  And  if  a  man's  work  in  the  world  is 
as  thoroughly  and  bravely  done  as  John  Chez- 
zle's  is,  I  'm  not  afraid  of  any  future,  and  my 
boys  will  never  be,  either !  " 

Tom  put  his  hand  on  my  head  an  instant, 
and  said  quietly :  "  That  is  the  true  belief , 
little  woman  —  true  to  the  core  !  And  it  is 
fun  to  see  you  warm  up  all  into  a  blaze  of  glory 
over  your  Chezzle  and  your  boys  !  " 

The  thought  of  the  boys  turned  the  conver- 
sation back  to  the  boats,  and  soon  I  was  my 
cool  self  again.  Presently  I  said :  "  But  all 
this  is  a  thousand  miles  away  from  your  will, 
Tom.  Why  can't  I  get  it  out  for  you  this 
minute  and  have  it  ready  when  the  doctor 
comes  ?  " 

"  Bother  the  doctor  !  "  he  cried ;  but,  control- 
ling himself,  he  said  :  "  There  is  n't  so  much 
hurry ;  I  may  live  some  time  yet.  But  I  do 
mean  to  sign  the  thing  before  long.  I  may  as 
well  tell  you,  Ellen,  as  I  shall  want  you  for  one 
of  the  witnesses,  that  I  have  decided  to  leave 
a  good  deal  of  my  property  to  charity.  The 
gentlemen  who  were  here  last  night  —  those 
missionaries,  you  know  —  are  devoting  their 
lives  to  the  cause  of  education  in  Madagascar, 
and  my  will,  when  I  am  gone,  will  set  the 
Colony  upon  its  legs.  It  would  be  fun  to  see 


124  THE   CHEZZLES. 

the  thing  accomplished,  and  sometimes  I  won- 
der whether  —  if  my  decline  is  to  be  dragged 
on  interminably  —  a  deed  of  gift  would  not  be 
better." 

He  asked  my  advice,  and  I  urged  him  to  let 
me  send  for  one  of  his  lawyers  immediately 
and  have  the  matter  settled,  saying  that  I 
thought  a  deed  of  gift,  under  the  circumstances, 
would  be  much  better  than  a  will.  Maria  came 
in,  unfortunately,  or  the  thing  might  have  been 
attended  to  then  and  there,  for  he  was  in  the 
mood  for  action,  decidedly.  He  asked  me,  how- 
ever, to  explain  his  change  of  mind  to  Dr. 
Frediqueue. 

He  was  radiant !  He  said  a  deed  of  gift 
would  "settle  the  mind  of  Monsieur  into  a 
state  of  much  better  repose."  He  "  hoped  my 
brother  would  allow  me  to  send  for  the  lawyers 
to-morrow.  But  he  wished  seriously  that  M. 
Pennaroi  would  employ  different  ones  because 
these  Messieurs  Roubaix  and  Duvergne  are  so 
very  aggressive  and  disturbing  to  his  sensitive 
nature." 

Really,  Jack,  I  don't  understand  your  last 
postscript.  For  the  doctors  seem  honestly 
interested  and  anxious  for  Tom's  welfare,  al- 
though I  am  beginning  to  distrust  their  profes- 
sional skill.  They  think  to-day  that  they  have 
discovered  "  a  false  action  about  his  heart." 


THE   CHEZZLES.  125 

Mrs.  Chezzle  opened  her  husband's  letter  to 
read  the  postscript  once  more.  "  Look  a  little 
harder,"  he  wrote,  "  with  those  great,  honest 
eyes  of  yours  —  Challey's  are  exactly  like  them, 
my  dear  —  at  your  brother's  exceUent  doctors  ; 
and  I  think,  if  you  have  the  opportunity,  you 
will  do  well  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the 
lawyers, '  Messrs.  Gruffit  and  Crusty,'  as  you  call 
them." 

"  Why,"  said  Mrs.  Chezzle  to  herself,  as  she 
locked  her  desk.  "  I  had  scarcely  mentioned 
the  lawyers  to  him  when  he  wrote  that,  and  I 
certainly  had  not  questioned  the  skill  of  the 
doctors !  But  I  have  no  objection  to  seeing 
either  of  the  distinguished  legal  gentlemen. 
They  cannot  hurt  me  !  Whatever  opinion  you 
have  of  my  eyes,  Mr.  Jack,  you  evidently  think 
your  own  are  the  sharpest !  " 


X. 


THE  ANXIETY  OF  TWO  MISSIONARIES  AND  THE  DOCTORS 
IN  ATTENDANCE  UPON  MR.  PENROY  TO  GET  THAT  GEN- 
TLEMAN TO  SIGN  A  DEED  OF  GIFT  FOR  THE  BENEFIT 
OF  A  SCHEME  TO  RAISE  THE  STANDARD  OF  EDUCATION 
IN  THE  ISLAND  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

TULY  26.  I  have  had  my  first  difficulty 
el  with  the  servants.  The  cook  has  been 
complaining  to  me  of  Antoine.  He  is  Tom's 
chief  nurse  and  attendant,  as  good-natured  a 
young  fellow  as  ever  lived,  but  is  spoiled,  no 
doubt,  by  Tom's  unbounded  confidence  and 
indulgence.  He  is  tall,  hearty-looking,  with 
the  plainest  of  features,  which  are  redeemed  by 
merry  brown  eyes  and  a  most  agreeable  smile. 
Tom  sends  orders  by  him  right  and  left,  and 
will  receive  a  suggestion  from  him  more  readily 
than  from  any  one.  So,  if  Antoine  chose  to 


THE   CHEZZLES.  127 

make  trouble,  he  could  do  it  so  easily  that, 
although  I  can't  help  liking  the  fellow  and  be- 
stowing my  good  will  upon  him,  I  must,  in 
reason,  sympathize  with  the  cook.  Her  com- 
plaint is  that  he  gives  her  no  end  of  trouble  by 
ordering  things  at  the  most  unheard-of  hours. 
Roast  chicken,  beefsteak,  soup,  oysters,  deli- 
cacies of  every  kind.  She  says  he  has  been, 
until  lately,  a  moderate  eater,  but  that  he  has 
become  all  of  a  sudden  a  prodigious  gourmand. 
Added  to  the  annoyance  of  this,  he  orders  all 
these  things  sent  up-stairs  to  his  room,  —  a 
small  one  next  to  Tom's  bedroom,  —  and  the 
other  servants,  to  state  it  mildly,  do  not 
enjoy  waiting  upon  him.  I  happened  to  be  in 
the  kitchen  this  morning  when  Claudine,  the 
waitress,  put  her  head  in  at  the  door  and,  not 
knowing  I  was  there,  announced  in  a  tone  of 
high  disdain  :  "  Mme.  Madeleine,  you  will  send 
up  at  ten  o'clock  precisely  an  omelette  soufflee 
a  la  Colombine  for  M.  le  Due  D'Antoine ! " 
And  Mme.  Madeleine's  nose  went  up  in  the  air 
accordingly,  as  she  said  to  me  :  "  Vous  voyez, 
Madame  ?  " 

I  smoothed  her  feathers  by  telling  her  that 
I  thought,  while  M.  Penroy  continued  so  ill, 
it  would  be  best  to  serve  "  M.  le  Due  "  with 
patience,  and  that  I  would  help  her,  if  I  could 


128  THE   CHEZZLES. 

discover  a  way.  She  was  so  pleased  at  my  adopt- 
ing Claudine's  title  for  Antoine  that  I  think 
it  softened  her  grumble  considerably  for  that 
tune.  I  will  talk  with  Tom  some  day  about 
it,  but  he  takes  such  comfort  in  Antoine  that 
I  shall  let  the  matter  alone,  at  least  for  awhile. 

July  27.  I  spoke  to  Tom  again  about  sign- 
ing his  deed.  The  missionaries  come  oftener 
than  ever,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  don't  like 
them.  I  have  been  in  the  room  several  times 
when  they  were  visiting  Tom,  and  there  is 
something  about  them  which  I  distrust.  They 
talk  so  loud,  and  so  fast  too,  that  it  puts  me 
out  of  breath  to  listen  —  or  try  to.  I  should 
think  they  would  be  very  exhausting  to  Tom. 
I  hinted  as  much  to  Dr.  Frediqueue,  but  he 
exclaimed  at  once  that  I  was  mistaken  in  them 
altogether.  Their  visits,  he  said,  were  "  of 
the  most  gratifying  nature.  Monsieur  can  only 
profit  by  conversing  with  them.  They  calm 
his  nerves.  They  take  him  out  of  himself. 
Their  gentle,  soothing  influence  is  of  incom- 
parable benefit  to  my  noble  patient !  "  etc.,  etc. 

Now,  Jack,  if  you  could  see  them  at  work 
with  their  influence,  you  would  call  it  something 
besides  soothing  or  gentle  !  They  are  wiry 
little  men,  with  anxious,  nervous  •  expressions, 
and  a  vivacity  of  manner  which  enforces  the 


THE   CHEZZLES.  129 

whole  attention.  They  enter  Tom's  room,  to 
begin  with,  as  if  they  had  more  business  to  ac- 
complish than  any  six  ordinary  men  ought  to 
have.  They  draw  up  their  chairs  near  the  foot 
of  the  bed ;  one  rubs  his  knees  with  his  skinny 
hands,  and  the  other  wipes  his  bald  head  with 
an  enormous  yellow  silk  pocket-handkerchief. 
One  of  them  has  thin,  straight  eyebrows,  low 
cheek  -  bones,  thin  lips,  and  a  red  nose  ;  he 
wears  blue  glasses  so  that  I  can't  see  his  eyes. 
The  other  has  no  eyebrows  at  all,  little  beads 
of  near-sighted  eyes  which  are  continually  wink- 
ing and  blinking,  a  long,  thin  nose,  long  up- 
per lip,  and  retreating  chin.  They  neither  of 
them  sit  still  a  minute.  Tom  says  :  "  Good- 
morning,  gentlemen.  How  does  the  mission 
progress?  "  Then  they  "  let  fly  !  "  Excuse  the 
slang,  but  they  do  it !  They  begin  to  talk  so 
fast  that  I  can  only  catch  a  phrase  here  and 
there.  It  is  all  in  French,  of  course,  and  Tom 
is  master  of  it.  If  one  stops  to  take  breath, 
the  other  takes  up  the  talk,  and  —  how  do  they 
do  it  ?  OccasionaUy  one  takes  out  a  note- 
book and  dots  down  memoranda.  Tom  cannot 
get  a  word  in  edgeways  unless  they  ask  him 
about  his  deed.  I  have  gathered  this  much  — 
that  they  are  as  pleased  as  the  doctors  at  the 
thought  of  a  deed  of  gift,  and  most  anxious  to 


130  THE  CHEZZLES. 

secure  it.  I  wish  Tom  would  sign  the  ever- 
lasting thing  and  be  done  with  it. 

You  advise  me  to  look  at  the  doctors  with  my 
"  honest  eyes  "  (thank  you !)  but,  I  assure  you, 
these  "  brothers "  give  them  more  work.  I 
am  beginning  to  doubt  the  doctors'  skill,  as 
physicians,  but  I  do  not  distrust  them  as  I  do 
"  the  Madagascarites."  Maria,  however,  has 
taken  such  a  dislike  to  the  doctors,  that  she  is 
actually  miserable  in  their  presence.  I  have  per- 
suaded Tom  to  give  her  no  more  messages  for 
them,  and  would  keep  her  out  of  their  company 
if  it  did  not  increase  her  discomfort  to  have 
them  with  either  Tom  or  me  alone.  She  follows 
me,  when  I  go  to  the  library  to  speak  to  them, 
and  watches  them  as  if  she  were  a  little  cat. 

Tom  will  not  fix  the  time  for  the  signing 
of  the  deed,  but  consented  to  my  writing  to  the 
lawyers  yesterday  to  ask  them  to  send  him 
a  deed  with  blanks  which  he  can  fill  in  him- 
self with  whatever  amount  he  chooses  to  be- 
stow and  the  object  to  which  he  means  to  give 
it.  Think  how  queer  it  would  feel  to  have 
enough  money  to  talk  about  a  deed  of  gift ! 
Never  mind,  though,  Jack  dear !  We  get 
more  fun  out  of  our  little  income  than  Tom 
does  from  all  his  wealth. 

July  28.    "  Mr.  Crusty,"  of  the  distinguished 


THE  CHEZZLES.  131 

firm  of  "  Gruffit  &  Crusty,"  —  in  other  words, 
Monsieur  Duvergne,  —  called  to  see  me  this 
morning  while  we  were  at  breakfast.  I  was 
obliged  to  keep  him  waiting  a  few  minutes. 
Maria,  always  on  the  alert  to  do  something  for 
me,  ran  to  carry  him  my  message,  and  when  I 
entered  the  parlor  soon  after,  I  was  surprised  to 
find  her  conversing  with  him  in  the  most  confi- 
dential and  sprightly  manner.  There  she  was, 
with  her  darling  Marguerite,  chattering  to  him 
like  a  magpie,  and  exhibiting  the  doll's  clothes 
I  had  made.  And  he,  with  all  his  solemnity,  — 
for  he  is  solemn  rather  than  crusty,  —  appeared 
to  be  profoundly  interested.  When  I  entered, 
he  rose,  asking  Maria,  "  And  this  lady  is  your 
aunt  ?  "  Maria,  who  in  presence  of  the  doctors 
is  the  funniest  little  bit  of  stiffness  and  pro- 
priety that  ever  you  saw,  left  the  doll  in  his 
hands,  ran  to  meet  me,  and,  throwing  her  arms 
around  me,  cried,  "  Yes,  yes  !  she  is  my  dear 
aunt  —  mine!"  Maria's  sense  of  possession 
of  me  gives  her  supreme  satisfaction. 

M.  Duvergne  is  more  than  six  feet  tall  and  as 
grim  a  personage  as  I  have  ever  seen.  Iron-gray 
hair,  iron-gray  face,  iron-gray  clothes.  Wide- 
open  black  eyes  which  looked  straight  into  mine, 
gray  side-whiskers,  and  a  mouth  so  solemn  that 
I  felt  a  little  as  if  he  had  come  to  pronounce 


132  THE   CHEZZLES. 

my  doom  !  No  soldier  ever  stood  straighter. 
He  bowed  to  me  with  dignity  and  remained 
standing  until  I  sat  down.  All  the  time  he 
held  the  doll  as  if  it  might  have  been  a  roll  of 
parchment.  Maria  remained  by  me,  caressing 
my  hair. 

"  Mile.  Maria,"  said  M.  Duvergne,  in  French, 
holding  up  the  doll  in  one  hand  and  pointing 
to  it  with  the  other ;  "  she  is  too  young  to 
understand  what  I  wish  to  talk  about  to  your 
aunt;  will  you  take  her  out  to  walk  a  little 
while?" 

Maria  sprang  to  take  the  doll  tenderly  in  her 
arms,  saying,  "  I  will  hold  her." 

"  Wait,"  said  M.  Duvergne,  smiling  dimly  ; 
his  very  smile  is  solemn.  "  Excuse  me,  my 
child,  but  she  is  so  innocent,  it  would  not  be 
wise  for  you  to  let  her  listen  to  conversation  on 
business." 

"  Oh  how  droll  you  are  —  like  my  Papa ! 
I  will  take  Marguerite  to  the  garden,"  said 
Maria ;  and  she  skipped  away,  breaking  into  a 
fresh  little  song  as  soon  as  she  reached  the 
hall. 

I  was  a  little  in  awe  of  this  severe-looking 
gentleman,  but  could  not  repress  a  soft  cry  of 
pleasure  when  he  spoke  to  me  in  English  — 
my  own  language,  pure  and  simple ! 


THE   CHEZZLES.  133 

He  began  at  once :  "  You  are  Mr.  Penroy's 
sister?" 

"  Yes,  his  only  sister,"  I  answered. 

"  Has  he  any  brothers  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  am  his  nearest  relative,  and,  in  case 
of  his  death,  he  wishes  to  place  his  daughter  in 
my  charge.  I  have  a  husband  and  two  little 
boys  in  America." 

His  questions  were  direct.  I  would  not  for 
the  world  have  made  my  answers  a  word  longer 
than  was  necessary. 

We  went  on,  he  asking  and  I  answering,  un- 
til he  knew  all  that  I  do  about  Tom,  the  visits 
of  the  doctors  and  the  Madagascarites,  their 
.anxiety  to  get  the  deed  signed,  and  everything. 
Then  he  said  :  "  Your  brother  asks  for  a  deed 
of  gift  and  I  have  brought  one,  but  I  hope  he 
will  not  use  it.  I  hope  you  will  persuade  him 
to  listen  to  reason.  Whatever  money  he  be- 
stows upon  this  Colony  in  Madagascar,  my  part- 
ner and  I  are  convinced  will  be  wasted.  He 
has  trusted  our  firm  with  his  property,  and  we 
have  no  right  to  see  him  throw  it  away  without 
protesting.  He  has  refused  to  listen  to  us ; 
perhaps  he  will  listen  to  his  sister.  In  any 
case,  it  is  right  that  you  should  understand. 
To  give  what  he  proposes  to  this  cause  is  worse 
than  ridiculous ;  it  is  wrong." 


134  THE   CHEZZLES. 

M.  Duvergne  was  growing  warm.  His  man- 
ner was  uncompromising,  and  his  voice  had  a 
shade  of  anger  in  it.  He  speaks  English  per- 
fectly, his  foreign  accent  being  very  slight.  If 
he  were  less  careful  in  the  pronunciation  of 
each  syllable,  I  might  easily  forget  that  he  is 
not  my  countryman.  He  went  on,  denouncing 
Tom's  judgment  for  some  time,  until  I  began 
to  get  almost  indignant  myself.  Indeed,  I 
should  have  been  wholly  so,  if  I  had  not  agreed 
with  him,  and  if  I  had  not  felt  positively  sure, 
every  minute,  that  I  was  listening  to  a  man 
whose  honesty  was  absolute  and  whose  con- 
science was  like  a  rock.  As  a  lawyer,  I  should 
think  he  must  win  every  case  he  undertakes, 
for  I  do  not  see  how  it  would  be  possible  to  op- 
pose him.  He  did  not  tell  me  the  amount  of 
Tom's  wealth  or  anything  whatever  about  it, 
excepting  the  fact  that  the  Madagascar  Colony 
was  likely  to  obtain  a  large  sum.  And  you  and 
I,  Jack,  would  consider  a  sum  large  which  Tom 
and  M.  Duvergne  would  probably  call  paltry  ! 

I  could  not  help  approving  what  he  said,  but 
it  was  unpleasant  to  hear  Tom's  wisdom  ridi- 
culed at  such  a  rate,  and  I  wanted  to  resent  it. 
Finally,  he  added  the  one  thought  which  it  is 
impossible  for  me  to  endure  for  a  moment. 
After  assuring  me  that  the  mission  —  the  "  mad 


THE   CHEZZLES.  135 

mission,"  he  called  it  —  was  got  up  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  getting  hold  of  Tom's  money ; 
that  it  was  nothing  but  a  name  ;  that,  after 
securing  the  deed  of  gift,  the  missionaries  would 
disappear  and  never  be  heard  of  again  ;  that 
they  certainly  would  never  be  found  on  the 
island  of  Madagascar,  educating  Malagasy  sav- 
ages ;  that  Mr.  Penroy  could  never  have  been 
so  imposed  upon  if  his  health  had  not  been 
impaired,  —  after  impressing  me  with  all  that, 
M.  Duvergne  said  : 

"And  there  is  another  consideration.  Mr. 
Penroy  has  a  sister  and  nephews  whose  right  it 
is  to  expect "  — 

"No,  it  isn't!"  I  exclaimed,  looking  as 
steadily  into  his  great  black  eyes  as  they 
looked  into  mine.  "  Mr.  Penroy's  sister  cares 
enough  for  her  brother  to  prefer  his  life 
to  the  wealth  of  all  the  mines  in  Australia ! 
Mr.  Penroy's  sister  would  not  be  here  if  she 
were  capable  of  expecting  anything  but  sorrow 
at  his  death.  Mr.  Penroy's  sister  has  a  hus- 
band who  is  proud  and  able  to  support  his  wife 
and  children,  and  who  greatly  prefers  to  teach 
his  boys  how  to  do  honorable  work  in  the  world 
than  to  want  a  noble  uncle  to  die  so  that  they 
may  get  his  money  and  grow  lazy  and  selfish  ! 
My  husband  "  —  0  Jack  !  I  felt  just  then  as 


136  THE   CHEZZLES. 

if  you  were  a  king  —  "  my  husband,"  I  cried, 
"  has  more  to  give  his  wife  and  little  boys  than 
Mr.  Penroy's  wealth  twice  told  ;  he  has  his 
hard-working  life  to  give  them,  and  "  — 

But  I  stopped  right  there.  There  came  sud- 
denly before  me  such  a  picture  of  you,  so  pa- 
tient, always  working  and  never  grumbling, 
only  proud  because  you  can  work  !  And,  in 
contrast,  a  picture  of  those  wretches  watching 
around  Tom's  bed  and  hoping  every  day  for  him 
to  die  !  I  was  too  angry  to  say  another  word. 

M.  Duvergne  was  taken  completely  by  sur- 
prise. I  had  been  so  quiet  and  dignified.  He 
waited  a  few  minutes  in  silence  ;  then  he  spoke 
in  a  low  voice,  which  had  changed  wonderfully, 
and  was  most  gentle  and  deferential. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  "  I  ask  your  pardon.  I 
agree  with  you  in  every  particular.  But  it  is 
most  rare  to  hear  such  sentiments  expressed.  I 
see  that  you  are  in  too  delicate  a  position  to 
seek  to  influence  Mr.  Penroy.  I  will  not  ask 
you  to  mention  the  subject  to  him.  I  "will 
also  give  you  my  word  of  honor  —  of  honor, 
Madame  —  that  I  will  not  mention  you  in  any 
connection  whatever  with  this  matter  if  you 
will  try  to  obtain  Mr.  Penroy's  consent  to  see- 
ing me.  If  I  could  see  him  once  more  before 
—  before  "  — 


THE   CHEZZLES.  .  137 

"His  death?"  I  asked,  boldly. 

"Yes,  Madame,"  answered  M.  Duvergne, 
sadly. 

I  said  quietly  :  "  I  do  not  believe  he  is  going 
to  die  ;  I  believe  he  will  get  well !  " 

The  quick,  honest  joy  which  suffused  the 
lawyer's  stern  face,  softening  every  line  as  he 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  forgot  himself  com- 
pletely, proved  the  sincerity  of  his  interest  in 
Tom.  We  talked  another  half  hour,  and  I 
learned  that  M.  Duvergne  had  only  had  two 
short  interviews  with  Dr.  Frediqueue  and  none 
at  all  with  Dr.  De  la  Quille.  They  have,  he 
thinks,  made  a  point  of  avoiding  him.  He  sus- 
pects, —  but  no  matter  what  he  suspects ;  we 
will  wait.  At  any  rate,  I  feel  now  that  Tom 
has  at  least  one  honest  friend  beside  myself 
among  a  nest  of  doubtful  ones.  The  only 
thing  for  me  to  do  is  to  persuade  him  to  see 
Monsieur  Duvergne,  and  I  think  I  can  easily  do 
that. 

So,  my  love,  I  have  looked  at  the  doctors 
with  my  "  honest  eyes,"  and  I  have  made  the 
acquaintance  of  M.  Jean  Auguste  Duvergne. 
Now,  what  is  going  to  come  of  it  ? 


XL 


HOW  MARIA  PENROY  GAVE  MORE  OF  HER  CONFIDENCE 
TO  THE  DARK  GENTLEMAN  AND  DELIGHTED  HIS  SOUL 
THEREBY. 

THE  person  whom  Susanne  had  called  "  Mon- 
sieur le  Secretaire  d'Etat  "  was  no  other 
than  M.  Jean  Auguste  Duvergne,  the  lawyer  to 
whom  Mr.  Penroy  had  confided  the  management 
of  his  business  affairs,  and  for  whose  conven- 
ience the  room  opening  on  the  garden  had  been 
fitted  up.  He  lived  at  Meaux,  and,  before  going 
every  day  to  his  office  in  Paris,  was  in  the  habit 
of  stopping  at  the  little  room  to  look  over  Mr. 
Penroy' s  letters,  to  answer  or  place  them  on  file, 
and  attend  to  various  matters  of  the  kind.  It 
was  necessary  for  him  to  stop  an  hour  or  two 
sometimes,  while  at  others  he  would  remain 


THE   CHEZZLES.  139 

scarcely  ten  minutes.  Maria  went,  therefore, 
several  times  without  finding  him.  Then  it 
rained  for  two  days,  and  on  the  third  her  aunt 
purchased  for  her  a  doll  to  be  dressed  for  the 
little  mute  girl  at  Nipsit,  and  her  delight  in  that 
so  overshadowed  her  enthusiasm  for  letter-writ- 
ing that  over  ten  days  elapsed  before  M.  Du- 
vergne,  busy  at  his  table  by  the  window,  saw  a 
shadow  on  his  paper,  and,  looking  up,  beheld 
outside  Maria  flattening  her  small  nose  against 
the  pane  and  peering  through  one  of  the  trans- 
parent spots  in  the  figured  glass.  She  entered 
without  waiting  for  an  invitation. 

"  Hush  !  Please  do  not  make  a  noise,  Mon- 
sieur !  "  she  said,  shutting  the  door  as  softly  as 
possible,  after  she  had  wheeled  the  doll's  car- 
riage inside.  "  Marguerite  has  been  so  very 
ill !  You  do  not  know  !  And  she  is  fast  asleep  ; 
do  you  see  ?  "  She  lifted  some  lace  which  was 
thrown  over  the  carriage-top,  so  that  M.  Du- 
vergne  might  satisfy  himself  of  the  fact.  "  Yes, 
I  thought  she  would  die  last  night ! "  she 
added,  regarding  M.  Duvergne  with  a  care-worn 
expression,  and  gently  rolling  the  carriage  a  few 
inches  to  and  fro  to  make  Marguerite's  slumber 
sounder  still.  "  Yes,  truly  !  She  had  the  —  the 
action  of  the  heart !  Think  of  that,  Monsieur ! 
The  same  that  my  Papa  has  —  the  action  of  the 
heart ! " 


140  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  That  is  most  serious  indeed,"  said  M.  Du- 
vergne,  gravely.  "  Ought  you  not  to  consult 
the  doctor?" 

"  Oh  no,  never !  I  will  not  let  them  see 
even  so  much  as  one  eye  of  my  Marguerite !  " 
cried  Maria,  indignantly,  shocked  at  the  idea, 
and  scowling  so  that  M.  Duvergne  said  has- 
tily :  "  Oh,  I  mean  some  other  wonderful  phy- 
sician ;  not  either  of  your  Papa's  doctors." 

"Ah  yes,  certainly,"  said  Maria,  glad  to 
have  M.  Duvergne  right  himself.  "  I  asked 
le  Docteur  Antoine,  and  that  is  why  my  poor 
child  is  better  this  morning.  We  gave  her  "  — 
she  peeped  under  the  lace  once  more,  and  then 
trod  on  tiptoe  softly  to  M.  Duvergne' s  table, 
—  "  we  gave  her  a  little  tooth-powder  out  of 
Papa's  box,  Monsieur,  and  it  stopped  her  heart 
instantly  !  " 

"  That  was  the  best  thing  possible  to  do,  of 
course,"  said  M.  Duvergne.  "  I  hope  the  '  ac- 
tion '  will  not  return  ;  I  should  be  seriously 
alarmed  if  it  did." 

"  No,  I  think  it  will  not,"  said  Maria,  while 
she  took  off  her  hat  and  arranged  the  carriage 
so  that  she  could  reach  it  from  the  arm-chair 
upon  which  she  hoisted  herself.  "  But  she  would 
be  worse,  and  I  know  she  would  die,  if  I  let  her 
take  any  of  M.  Frediqueue's  medicine  !  Only 


THE   CHEZZLES.  141 

think,  Monsieur,  he  is  not  like  you  at  all.  I  told 
him  a  message  from  Papa,  and  he  cannot  under- 
stand. And  neither  M.  De  la  Quille  —  just 
because  of  two  little  English  words !  They  do 
not  know  anything  !  I  tell  them  '  Ga-monne  ' 
and  '  Spee-naahdge '  many  time,"  here  Maria 
broke  into  English,  "  but  the  chin  of  M.  le  Doc- 
teur  Frediqueue,  it  poke  out  —  so  —  an'  he  say 
I  haf  not  the  words  right,  an'  M.  le  Docteur  De 
la  Quille  he  shut  the  eyes  up  small  -  leetle,  an' 
make  me  say  it  five  time.  Alors  he  tell  me  it 
make  him  grief  que  mon  Papa  mus'  not  eat  the 
spee-naahdge  a  cause  that  will  make  him  die  ! 
an'  I  know  the  word  is  not  goot  to  eat,  a  cause 
I  tell  Papa  tout  ce  que  they  say  an'  he  tell  me 
all  pout  it.  Then  he  shake  the  ped  with  the 
chill.  I  feel  so  sad,  I  get  much  blanquette  to 
put  on  him,  an'  I  want  Antoine  to  come  with 
hot  pags.  But  Papa  tell  me  no  —  hot  pags 
make  him  sick. 

"  Papa  an'  myself,  we  haf  beaucoup  plaisir. 
He  is  droll  Papa.  I  gif  to  him  the  medecine, 
but  he  not  trink  it  wile  I  look  —  he  send  me 
to  the  win'ow  to  see  out.  An'  he  teU  me  he 
like  to  know  if  my  dinneur  is  goot  for  me  an' 
I  mus'  pring  to  him  my  plate  from  the  table. 
It  is  biff  what  I  haf,  but  Papa  think  it  is  not 
goot  for  me  to  eat.  He  say  I  mus'  leaf  the 


142  THE   CHEZZLES. 

plate  by  his  side  an'  tell  Tante  Helene  the  meat 
she  gif  me  is  not  tendre  —  she  mus'  gif  me 
some  more  what  is  goot.  Chere  Tante  not 
know  what  that  mean  ;  she  think  it  was  much 
tendre.  When  I  go  back  to  Papa,  the  biff  is 
not  there.  But  I  fin'  out  where  is  that  biff  ! 
It  is  one  pig  secrette  ;  you  fill  not  tell  it,  Mon- 
sieur, to  "  — 

"  Oh,  not  to  anybody  ;  be  sure  that  I  will  not 
mention  it,"  said  M.  Duvergne,  looking  much 
pleased,  but  not  daring  to  smile  outright  lest 
the  little  girl  should  take  offense. 

"  Papa  tell  me,"  she  was  beginning  again, 
when  she  broke  off  to  exclaim,  "  But  I  will 
to  put  all  the  secrettes  —  all  —  all  the  secrettes 
in  the  pig  lettre  for  mes  cousins !  Where  is 
my  lettre  ?  " 

"  Ah,  yes,  it  is  here,  Mademoiselle,"  said  M. 
Duvergne,  taking  it  from  a  side  drawer  and 
preparing  to  write.  "  But  people  do  not  write 
secrets." 

"  Seulement  to  Amerique,  Monsieur  !  "  said 
Maria.  "  Vous  voyez  ?  They  go  to  Amerique 
—  away,  far,  so  they  come  not  pack !  " 

So  she  settled  down  to  dictate  to  her  cousins, 
and  M.  Duvergne  wrote  rapidly,  without  further 
interruption  than  was  necessary  to  help  her  ex- 
press herself.  When  she  had  chattered  until 


THE   CHEZZLES.  143 

she  was  tired  she  announced  that  Marguerite 
was  awake,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  take 
her  upstairs  again  immediately  to  get  another 
dose  of  tooth-powder.  She  accordingly  hurried 
away.  But  M.  Duvergne,  although  consider- 
ably belated,  allowed  his  whole  face  to  break 
into  smiles  the  moment  she  had  disappeared, 
and  did  not  leave  the  little  room  until  he  had 
read  over  again,  with  evident  enjoyment,  the 
letter  she  had  dictated,  which  ran  on  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

"  It  is  Papa  wot  eat  that  biff !  an'  he  tell 
me  I  mus'  tell  Antoine  to  pring  to  him  hot 
soup  an'  a  small-leetle  sheeken  all  koo-ooke. 
Not  a  papa-sheeken,  an'  not  a  maman-sheeken 
non  plus,  but  nice  leetle  shile  -  sheeken.  I 
tell  Antoine  an'  he  know  all  pout  it.  Papa 
say  Antoine  know  effery  think.  Myself  an' 
Papa,  an'  Antoine,  we  have  high-tide-sail-ling 
tout  ensemble.  Nobody  know.  It  is  secrette 
we  keep  to  make  Chere  Tante  glad  one  day 
when  we  tell  her  to  it.  An'  the  pig,  pig,  fine 
secrette  my  Papa  tell  to  me,  it  is  that  he  haf 
the  mind  all  shange  an'  he  will  go  not  to 
heaven  —  no,  not  at  all !  I  fin'  out  many 
think.  I  fin'  out  he  haf  not  the  chill  unner  the 
blanquette ;  it  is  that  he  lauyh  all  the  time ! 
An'  we  tell  to  Antoine  to  get  from  Madeleine 


144  THE   CHEZZLES. 

in  the  kit-clienne  all  thinks  that  is  goot  for 
Papa  to  eat.  Madeleine,  she  not  like  that  an' 
she  think  it  is  Antoine  what  eat  so  much.  An' 
I  fin'  out  when  Papa  send  me  to  look  through 
the  win'ow,  he  throw  the  medecine  on  the 
small  rose-tree  I  buy  one  day  for  him  !  An'  I 
fin'  out  it  is  Antoine  what  is  great  docteur  all 
the  time  !  Papa  tell  me  it  is  Antoine  know 
what  will  make  him  well !  An'  he  laugh  —  that 
M.  Antoine  !  He  laugh  so  much  he  go  behint 
the  screen.  An'  the  docteur  come  not  more 
in  the  morn-ning.  Papa  tell  me  one  time  I  mus' 
say  to  the  docteurs  he  feel  too  much  sick,  he 
cannot  to  see  them.  An'  I  tell  them  that  they 
come  pas  si  sou  vent.  They  caU  to  me  what  is 
that  I  say  ?  I  am  on  the  stair  an'  I  call  loud  : 
'  My  Papa  is  too  much  sick  to  see  so  many 
time  Messieurs  les  docteurs  ! '  Then  I  run  fas'. 
They  pang  the  door  of  the  street  an'  they  make 
much  noise  ! " 


XII. 

HOW  POOR  LITTLE    BANNA  WAS    NEARLY   FRIGHTENED   TO 
DEATH. 

ONE  of  the  old  Nipsit  skippers  called  Elisha 
Barnes's  wife,  Debby,  "  the  snuggest  little 
housewife  you  could  find  in  a  ride  of  a  thou- 
sand miles,"  and  he  found  nobody  to  disagree 
with  him.  Elisha  was  one  of  the  best  carpen- 
ters in  the  place.  He  had  built  the  house  they 
lived  in  while  he  was  "  waiting  on "  Debby, 
and  it  was  his  wedding  gift  to  her.  She  was 
very  proud  of  showing  its  pretty  nooks  and 
conveniences,  and  thought  privately  that  her 
husband  was  a  wonderful  genius.  They  had 
two  children :  Shirley,  who  was  seven  years 
old,  and  Miranda,  who  was  not  quite  five. 
When  they  knew  that  their  baby  girl  was  deaf, 
Debby  cried  to  break  her  heart  many  times, 


146  THE   CHEZZLES. 

until  one  day  when  Elisha,  coming  home  un- 
expectedly, found  her  at  it  by  the  child's  crib. 

"  We  have  no  time  to  grieve,  little  wife,"  he 
said.  "  The  child  brings  a  new  trade,  much 
harder  than  house-building,  for  us  to  learn. 
We  've  got  her  mind  to  build,  Debby,  and  the 
only  help  we  shall  have  will  be  from  her  eyes. 
But  the  Lord  has  given  her  a  wonderful  pair  ; 
see,  they  are  looking  into  your  face  now ! " 

"  0  'Lisha  !  "  cried  Debby,  turning  quickly 
away  from  the  child,  "  and  who  knows  what 
she  sees  ?  "  Then  she  wiped  away  her  tears 
and  looked  up  at  her  husband  with  a  new 
resolution.  "  There  !  "  she  said,  with  a  brave 
smile,  "  I  '11  try  never  to  let  her  see  anything 
she  should  n't  in  my  face  again  !  I  '11  set  to 
work  at  my  trade  to-day." 

And  Debby  had  worked  at  it  so  industriously 
that  to  see  her  and  the  little  girl  together  was 
a  beautiful  sight,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they  un- 
derstood each  other  perfectly. 

Of  course  some  of  the  neighbors  who  did  not 
have  the  work  to  do  thought  they  could  teach 
the  child  better,  and  the  parents  had  plenty 
of  counsel.  Miss  Sophia  Wringer,  for  instance, 
thought  t  she  knew,  well  enough,  how  that 
young  one  could  be  taught ! '  As  she  did  not 
often  withhold  advice  when  she  thought  it  was 


THE   CHEZZLES.  147 

needed,  she  went  to  Elisha's  cottage  one  morn- 
ing on  purpose  to  instruct  Deborah.  A  slight 
accident  which  occurred  a  few  minutes  after 
she  arrived,  opened  the  way  for  her  admirably. 
Just  as  her  mother  had  dressed  her  carefully 
in  a  clean  gown,  Ranna  pulled  a  bowl  of  milk 
down  from  a  table  and  dashed  the  contents  all 
over  herself.  Her  mother  wiped  up  the  milk 
and  was  getting  out  another  set  of  clothes  for 
the  child,  who  was  chattering  and  gesticulating 
in  dismay,  when  Miss  Wringer  seized  her  op- 
portunity. 

"  Deborah  Barnes,  you  're  half-witted  !  "  she 
exclaimed.  "  /  could  teach  that  child  how  to 
keep  her  hands  off  things.  You  and  'Lisha  are 
makin'  slaves  of  yourselves  !  That  child  can't 
learn  nothin'  'xcept  through  sufferin',  an'  she  'd 
ought  to  be  made  to  suffer  !  To  look  at  that 
now  !  A  good  birch  rod  'd  give  her  a  lesson 
she  would  n't  forgit  in  a  hurry,  an'  she  'd 
ought  to  have  it !  Laid  on  well,  too  !  I  'd  jest 
like  to  give  it  to  her  myself  ;  an'  you  are  neg- 
lectin'  your  dooty,  you  are  !  " 

"  Thank  heaven  I  am,  Sophia,  if  you  call 
that  duty !  "  said  Debby,  flushing  with  indig- 
nation, while  she  buttoned  Ranna' s  gown  and 
stooped  to  kiss  the  back  of  her  neck. 

"  Well,  it  's  a  disgrace  to  you  not  to  know 


148  THE   CHEZZLES. 

better ! "  said  Miss  Wringer,  getting  really 
angry.  "  Look  at  the  child  !  Look  at  her, 
without  a  spark  o'  sense  o'  the  trouble  she  's 
ben  an'  made  !  " 

Nothing  could  well  have  added  more  to  Miss 
Wringer's  anger  than  Ranna's  innocent  efforts 
to  explain  the  accident.  She  pointed  to  the 
wet  clothes  in  a  heap  on  the  floor,  mimicked  her 
mother  wiping  up  the  milk,  and  smoothed  her 
fresh  gown  complacently. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  /  see  ye  !  "  said  Miss  Wringer. 
"  You  know  what  's  happened  well  enough, 
and  I  'd  like  to  show  ye  somethin'  else  that 
could  happen,  too !  I  know  what  'd  happen 
fast  enough  to  my  nephew,  Criss  Jones,  if  he 
done  such  a  thing !  He  'd  suffer  a  spell,  I  ken 
tell  ye ! " 

Debby  was  flushing  more  and  more,  but  she 
only  said :  "  Well,  Miss  Sophia,  you  won't 
have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  Ranna  made  to 
suffer ;  and  if  you  'd  let  Crissy  alone,  I  don't 
believe  he  'd  be  half  so  troublesome  as  he  is." 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  're  talkin'  about, 
Deborah  Barnes !  "  said  Miss  Wringer,  rising 
and  hitching  up  her  shawl  behind  with  her  el- 
bows. "  /do  my  dooty,  an'  I've  told  you  yours. 
I  've  ben  wantin'  to  give  ye  a  piece  o'  my  mind 
for  a  long  tune,  an'  now  I've  done  it.  An'  I'll 


THE   CHEZZLES.  149 

say  once  more "  —  Miss  Wringer's  voice  was 
rising  a  good  deal  —  "  once  more  before  I  go, 
that  child  can't  learn  without  suffering  an' 
she  'd  ought  to  be  made  to  suffer.  Solomon 
says, '  Spare  the  rod  and  '  "  — 

"  Stop  ! "  cried  Debby,  suddenly,  standing 
before  Miss  Wringer.  "  Why  do  you  quote 
Solomon  and  forget  Jesus  ?  How  dare  you 
look  at  that  child,  born  into  a  world  of  dead 
silence,  and  ask  me  to  add  to  the  suffering 
she 's  got  to  bear  all  her  life  ?  " 

"  I  've  spoke  my  mind,  Deborah  Barnes,  an' 
done  my  dooty  ;  mortals  can't  do  more  than 
that !  "  said  Miss  Wringer,  severely. 

"  Well,  you  'd  have  a  better  mind  to  speak 
if  you  studied  the  Bible  a  little  more,"  said 
Debby,  spicily.  "  Maybe,  if  you  looked  hard 
enough,  you  'd  find  something  in  it  about  love, 
and  gentleness,  and  patience,  and  a  little  about 
your  duty  towards  the  young  lives  given  you 
to  answer  for.  And  you  'd  better  "  — 

Miss  Wringer  was  walking  down  the  path  to 
the  gate  like  a  grenadier,  but  Debby  was  stand- 
ing on  the  doorstep,  angrier  than  she  had  ever 
been  in  her  life,  and  called  out  clearly :  "  You 
had  better  not  speak  your  mind  to  'Lisha,  for 
I  think  his  mind  would  n't  be  very  pleasant 
to  anybody  who  talked  about  raising  a  hand 
to  his  little  Raima  !  " 


150  THE   CHEZZLES. 

There  was  a  trouble,  not  of  anger,  on  Debby's 
face  when  Jim  Holburn  brought  Ranna  home 
from  Gull  Marsh  with  his  jacket  on.  He  told 
Mrs.  Barnes,  while  she  was  changing  the  jacket 
for  a  dress,  all  about  the  accident  to  Bob 
Chezzle,  with  plenty  of  detail,  but  she  did  not 
half  hear  him,  for  something  very  unusual  was 
the  matter  with  Ranna.  She  was  pale  and 
silent !  Although  doomed  never  to  hear  a 
sound,  a  deaf-mute  child  makes  a  great  deal  of 
noise  unconsciously.  After  being  away  from 
her  mother  for  any  time,  Ranna  always  returned 
to  her  in  a  state  of  excitement,  and,  in  her 
struggle  to  impart  everything  she  had  seen, 
kept  up  a  chatter-chatter,  with  a  vigorous  ges- 
ticulating of  hands  and  arms  until  she  was 
satisfied  that  she  had  told  her  whole  story. 
But  to-day  she  did  nothing.  She  drooped  her 
head  on  her  mother's  breast  and  was  silent. 
Debby  could  not  rouse  her.  Shirley  came  in 
presently  and  tried  every  trick  his  imagination 
could  contrive  to  attract  his  little  sister's  notice, 
but  Ranna  only  looked  at  him  with  dull,  pas- 
sionless eyes. 

Then  her  father  came,  and  he  and  Shirley 
tried  what  they  could  do  together,  while  Debby 
set  the  table  and  got  supper  ready.  Shirley, 
sure  that  he  had  thought  of  the  right  thing  at 


THE  CHEZZLES.  151 

last,  ran  across  the  road  and  returned  with  one 
of  the  new  little  puppies  from  Captain  Bix's. 
But  Ranna  would  not  even  look  at  it,  and 
Shirley  carried  it  back,  discouraged. 

"  If  she  won't  look  at  a  lovely,  darlin*  new 
pup,  father,  she  won't  look  at  nothin' !  "  Shir- 
ley said,  when  they  had  eaten  supper  and  his 
father  was  trying  to  make  Ranna  notice  the  big 
clock  which  usually  pleased  her  so  much. 

But  it  was  all  useless.  The  little  one  was 
put  to  bed  more  quietly  than  ever  before. 
Debby  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  crib  and  made 
the  signs  of  the  Lord's  prayer,  after  her  usual 
custom.  Ranna  knew  them  all ;  she  and  her 
mother  often  made  them  together,  looking  up 
at  the  stars.  Debby  thought  the  child  would 
understand  their  significance  by  and  by,  when 
she  was  old  enough  to  be  taught  how  to  read, 
and  she  wanted  Ranna  to  remember  that  they 
had  always  said  the  prayer  together.  But  no 
answering,  repeating  sign  came  from  Ranna 
to-night. 

So  Debby  went  with  Shirley  to  see  him  to 
bed,  and  he,  after  the  manner  of  children,  was 
unusually  talkative  because  of  the  awful  still- 
ness. 

"Jus*  wait  till  mornin',  mother,"  he  said. 
"  Then  /  '11  make  Ranny  all  right  again  !  I 


152  THE  CHEZZLES. 

guess,  if  I  go  down  to  Cap'm  Pepper's  an'  get 
ole  Zanzibar,  he  can  make  her  laugh  !  She 
can't  help  it,  if  she  sees  him  lick  my  face 
upside  down.  An'  I  '11  stick  some  splendid 
shavins  —  she  likes  shavin'-curls  awfully  —  on 
Zanzibar's  ears  an'  his  tail.  0  mother,  only 
wait  till  Ranny  sees  him  wag  his  tail  with  a 
long  shavin'  tied  to  the  end  of  it !  Hi-ya ! 
Don't  you  wish  it  was  mornin'  ?  "  So  Shirley 
rattled  on,  and  it  was  a  comfort  to  hear  him. 
Debby  came  out  of  the  room  looking  brighter, 
got  her  work-basket,  and  sat  down  at  the  sit- 
ting-room table  to  darn  her  husband's  socks. 
She  could  get  her  hand  down  into  the  foot  of 
one  and,  pulling  the  top  over  her  arm,  stretch 
it  to  the  tip  of  her  elbow.  Elisha  made  her  try 
it,  while  he  assured  her  that  Ranna  would  be 
"  all  right  to-morrow." 

But  she  was  not  so,  by  any  means.  She  was 
quite  passive,  scarcely  tasted  her  breakfast,  and 
afterwards,  while  her  father  worked  at  the 
vines  before  going  to  his  shop,  instead  of  hand- 
ing up  to  him  the  tacks  and  little  bits  of 
leather,  —  an  occupation  she  generally  delighted 
in,  —  she  sat  on  the  doorstep  with  her  doll, 
content  to  do  nothing.  She  waved  a  feeble 
good-by  when  her  father  and  Shirley  started 
off  to  the  shop,  which  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile 


THE   CHEZZLES.  153 

away,  down  in  the  heart  of  the  village.  Shirley 
was  going  after  Zanzibar  and  the  shavings. 

But  she  allowed  Captain  Pepper  to  come  in 
without  caring  even  to  look  at  him.  She  had 
one  pretty  sign  always  ready  for  him :  she 
would  pull  at  the  ropes  of  an  imaginary  boat, 
intimating  that  she  wanted  to  go  sailing  with 
him.  He  looked  for  it,  but  she  shook  her  head 
now.  The  captain  had  come  to  explain  the 
singular  use  made  of  her  little  dress,  sat  down 
on  the  step,  and  took  Ranna  on  his  knee  while 
he  was  talking. 

"  Don't  mention  the  dress,  Uncle  Zenas  !  " 
Debby  said.  "  You  ought  to  have  torn  it  up 
without  stopping  to  think  twice.  I  'm  so  glad 
the  little  fellow  is  n't  more  hurt !  " 

"  Oh,  it 's  nothing  to  fuss  over,"  said  the  cap- 
tain. "  The  pork  is  curing  him  as  fast  as  natur 
wants  it  to,  an'  I  reckon  his  walk  into  the  shark 
'11  save  him  from  walking  into  his  grave !  " 

After  a  little  more  conversation,  the  captain 
went  away,  and  Debby  went  to  the  wood-shed, 
back  of  the  barn,  to  sort  over  some  berries 
which  she  was  going  to  do  up  for  winter  use. 

Ranna  might  have  "  come  round  all  right," 
as  her  father  had  said  she  would,  if  Mrs.  Tuckit 
had  not  unluckily  hit  upon  Caleb  Bix  and 
Crissy  Jones  as  her  messengers  to  take  home 


154  THE   CHEZZLES. 

the  little  dress  which  she  had  washed  and 
ironed  for  Captain  Pepper. 

Caleb  and  Crissy  were  a  strong  team  and  an 
unruly  one  when  they  got  together.  Caleb's 
father  was  too  well  off ;  that  was  the  main 
trouble  with  him.  He  was  the  owner  of  the 
largest  cranberry  bog  in  the  county,  and  al- 
lowed Caleb  to  "  carry  too  much  sail,"  people 
said.  In  the  cranberry  season  the  boy  made 
trouble  among  the  pickers,  "  bossing  and  spy- 
ing." And  the  sin  of  laziness  was  planted  well 
and  grew  like  a  weed. 

"  If  ye  want  to  carry  much  property  that 's 
valuable,"  Captain  Pepper  said,  "  you  must  be 
mighty  careful  to  choose  a  good  vessel.  It 
takes  plenty  o'  ballust  an'  sound  riggin',  an' 
everybody  has  n't  got  the  hulk  for  it.  I  reckon 
it 's  the  savin'  of  most  of  us  that  we  have  to 
work  for  a  livin'."  And  of  Crissy  Jones  he 
said :  "  Natur  gave  him  a  weak  bowsprit  at 
the  start,  and  his  Aunt  S'fia  don't  steer  him 
straight.  She  is  n't  much  of  a  hand  at  man- 
aging anyhow,  an'  when  it  comes  to  a  craft 
like  Criss,  she 's  all  at  sea  about  it.  If  she  'd 
coax  him  along  at  the  tiller,  instead  of  haulm ' 
an'  naggin'  at  the  sails,  he  'd  do  well  enough." 

When  the  boys  reached  Elisha  Barnes's 
cottage,  Ranna  was  still  sitting  on  the  step, 


THE  CHEZZLES.  155 

leaning  her  head  against  the  side  of  the  door- 
way. They  were  going  fishing  and  had  their 
poles  over  their  shoulders. 

Crissy  knocked  at  both  the  front  and  kitchen 
doors,  but  the  wind  blew  and  made  such  a 
noise  in  the  trees  behind  the  barn  where  Debby 
was  busy  that  she  did  not  hear  them.  Caleb 
amused  himself  by  poking  his  pole  at  Ranna. 
She  usually  greeted  visitors  with  a  volley  of 
chatter  and  excited  gesture,  but  now  she  only 
put  Caleb's  pole  away  from  her  gently,  again 
and  again. 

"  I  say,  here 's  some  fun,  Criss !  "  called 
Caleb. 

Crissy  flung  the  bundle  on  the  grass  and 
also  began  to  poke  at  Ranna.  The  dead  silence 
out  of  which  Ranna  looked  gave  to  her  face 
when  it  was  in  repose  an  expression  which  ap- 
pealed to  every  one  who  noticed  her.  It  was 
intensified  now.  But  Caleb  and  Crissy  were 
too  thoughtless  to  see  it. 

"  Why  don't  she  gobble  ?  "  said  Caleb. 

"  Ye'd  orter  heerd  her  yeste'dy,  though  !  " 
said  Criss. 

"  Let 's  fish  for  her  doll !  "  said  Caleb,  un- 
winding his  line  for  the  purpose. 

Ranna  began  to  make  little  moans  as  she 
pushed  the  lines  away  from  her  eyes. 


156  THE  CHEZZLES. 

The  boys  had  no  idea  that  she  was  ill,  or 
they  would  never  have  gone  on  teasing  her. 

"  Ho  !  here 's  a  haul !  "  cried  Crissy,  as  his 
hook  caught  Ranna's  hat  and  he  swung  it  to 
and  fro. 

The  child  wailed  louder  and  reached  her 
hands  for  it. 

"Gobble!  gobble!  gobble!"  said  Caleb, 
imitating  perfectly  an  angry  turkey. 

Criss  slung  the  hat  until  he  lodged  it  up  in 
the  big  silver  poplar  tree  by  the  gate.  He  had 
to  shin  up  the  trunk  to  get  his  hook  out,  but  it 
was  worth  the  trouble.  Caleb  fixed  the  doll  on 
his  hook  and  dangled  it.  Ranna  made  a  feeble 
effort  to  recover  it,  but  she  was  too  indifferent 
to  make  the  sport  very  exciting  for  the  boys, 
and  they  would  have  left  her  in  a  minute  or 
two,  if  a  new  idea  had  not  seized  Crissy.  His 
success  with  the  hat  suggested  it. 

"  Hold  on  !  Never  mind  her  any  more,  Cale  ! 
Let 's  see  if  we  ken  sling  the  bundle  up  inter 
that  gable-winder !  "  He  stuck  his  fish-hook 
through  a  bit  of  the  parcel  and  began  trying 
the  experiment.  It  was  very  good  fun,  and 
they  took  turns  at  it.  Ranna  did  not  mind 
that  until,  while  the  pole  was  in  Caleb's  hands, 
the  insufficient  piece  of  paper  which  was 
wrapped  around  the  parcel  came  off  and  was 


THE   CHEZZLES.  157 

blown  away,  and  the  dress,  unrolled,  was  left 
hanging  on  the  hook.  Ranna's  eyes  lighted 
upon  it,  and,  like  a  great  wave,  the  scene  at 
the  marsh  rushed  back  upon  her.  Instantly 
she  was  like  a  wild  thing.  Springing  away 
from  the  step,  she  threw  herself  on  the  grass, 
trembling  all  over  with  passion.  With  a  bound 
she  was  up  again,  tearing  away,  now  this  way, 
now  that,  with  the  speed  of  a  fawn,  flinging 
herself  anywhere  away  from  the  touch  of  the 
gown.  Fright  such  as  she  had  never  known 
possessed  her.  The  sight  of  that  sickening 
blood  came  back  upon  her ;  she  could  see 
nothing  else. 

"  Drap  it !  drap  it !  "  cried  Crissy,  alarmed. 
But  Caleb  paid  no  heed,  and,  delighted  to  have 
made  Ranna  chatter  at  last,  continued  the 
game,  racing  about  in  order  to  keep  her  mo- 
tions within  the  boundary  of  the  house  front. 

"  Drap  it !  drap  it !  "  cried  Crissy  again. 
"  Here  comes  Shirley  Barnes,  an'  his  father  '11 
give  us  jassy,  I  tell  ye  !  " 

Ranna  was  making  strange,  unearthly  sounds, 
in  short,  quick  gasps,  as  she  rushed  every- 
where, trying  to  escape  from  Caleb,  and  nobody 
heard  her  except  poor  little  Shirley,  who  was 
coming  down  the  road  with  Zanzibar  decked 
out  with  long  shavings  streaming  and  dangling 


158  THE  CHEZZLES. 

from  ears  and  tail.  But  Shirley  tore  through 
the  gate  and  flung  himself  into  the  midst  of 
the  fray,  with  Zanzibar.  There  was  a  fearful 
moment  when  Shirley,  Crissy,  and  the  dog 
rolled  over  together ;  when  Caleb  tore  the 
dress  off  the  hook,  flung  it  on  the  ground,  and 
dragged  Crissy  away  just  in  time  to  escape  be- 
fore his  old  uncle,  Captain  Laban,  came  hob- 
bling across  the  road  to  see  what  was  the  mat- 
ter, and  Debby  dropped  on  her  knees  before 
Ranna,  who  was  lying,  white  as  snow,  on  the 
bed  of  trampled  pansies. 


xm. 

HOW  UNREASONABLY  SEVERE  CHALLEY  AND  BOB  SHOWED 
THEMSELVES  TOWARD  THE  WHOLE  BRITISH  NATION  ; 
AND  HOW  SHIRLEY  BARNES  CONVINCED  CHALLEY 
THAT  HE  KNEW  BETTER  THAN  ANYBODY  WHAT  WAS 
THE  MATTER  WITH  RANNA. 

IT  was  great  fun  to  have  a  wounded  leg. 
To  have  papa  to  play  with,  Molly  to  wait 
upon  him  and  make  him  her  kind  of  milk 
toast,  and  Captain  Pepper  out  in  the  shop, 
making  him  a  pair  of  crutches,  coming  in  to 
measure  him  for  them,  and  all "  —  "  It 's 
just  as  good,  papa,"  Bob  said,  "as  if  I  was  a 
real  soldier  and  had  got  wounded  fighting  the 
British  !  " 

"  Only  you  don't  get  me  to  be  the  British, 
now  Bob  ! "  said  Challey,  who  was  building  a 
fort  with  the  blocks  on  the  floor  of  the  sitting- 
room,  so  that  Bob  could  presently  take  part  in 
a  battle  between  two  armies  of  tin  soldiers. 


160  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  why ;  I  think  you  're 
real  mean,  if  you  don't !  /  can't  do  it,  up 
here  on  the  sofa !  " 

"  You  would  n't  do  it,  no  matter  where  you 
were,  and  you  know  it,  Bob,"  said  Challey. 
"  And  you  can  do  the  British  better  on  the 
sofa,  because  it  '11  be  a  gra-deal  harder  to  fire 
the  cannon  from  there,  and  easier  for  the 
Americans  to  beat.  Do  you  think  it  's  fair, 
papa  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  his  father,  who 
was  whittling  a  miniature  cannon.  "  Bob  al- 
ways wants  me  to  be  the  British  !  He  '11  never 
be  the  enemy.  He  's  only  been  the  British 
twice  this  summer,  and  he  has  n't  been  the 
Indians  at  all !  And  you  can't  fight  a  battle 
without  the  British  !  " 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle.  "  But 
that  is  a  difficulty  easy  to  settle  now,  because  / 
will  be  the  British." 

But  this  proposition  was  hailed  with  scorn 
and  derision.  "  Ho-o-o-o-oh  !  "  they  both  cried, 
groaning  down  a  scale  of  contemptuous  notes, 
and  Bob  screamed  :  "  That  'd  be  unfairer  than 
anything !  Because,  you  see,  if  you  're  an  army 
in  a  battle,  you  've  got  to  fight  as  well  as  you 
can,  and  we  have  the  marbles  for  cannon-balls, 
and  you  are  the  best  shot !  Don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see  that,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle,  smiling ; 


THE   CHEZZLES.  161 

"  but  why  can't  we  fight  the  battle  of  Long 
Island,  where  the  British  beat  by  a  "  — 

"  No  !  no !  no  !  "  both  boys  screamed  at 
once. 

"  Not  quite  so  loud !  "  said  Mr.  Chezzle.  "  I 
don't  believe  both  armies,  put  together,  made 
such  a  noise  about  it.  Wait :  the  British  cer- 
tainly did  beat  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island, 
and  afterwards,  as  you  have  learned  in  your 
history,  Chal "  — 

"  No,  sir  !  That  's  just  what  I  did  n't 
learn,  papa  !  "  said  Challey,  getting  up  on  his 
feet  to  give  his  father  the  facts  better.  "  The 
battle  of  Long  Island !  "  he  cried,  defiantly. 
"  And  the  defeat  of  the  Americans  for  ever  so 
long  afterwards  !  and  the  British  gaining  vic- 
tories and  advantages  every  minute,  and  noth- 
ing but  disasters  an'  disasters  to  Our  army  ! 
There  are  two  whole  chapters  all  about  that 
and  nothing  else,  and  our  history  class  just 
would  n't  stand  it,  and  we  went  to  Mr.  Gray 
at  recess,  and  we  told  him  we  did  n't  want  to 
learn  those  chapters,  and  he  said  we  might  skip 
'em  !  Hm  !  Do  you  think  a  man  'd  have  any 
right  to  make  a  boy  learn  such  chapters  as 
those  ?  Anyhow,  Mr.  Gray  did  n't !  He  was 
on  our  side  right  off,  and  said  we  might  skip 
every  word  !  " 


162  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  Yes !  "  cried  Bob,  wagging  his  head  with 
Challey's  ;  "  and  we  're  going  to  skip  the  disaster 
part  in  our  history  too,  in  my  class ;  but 
we  've  got  seven  chapters  before  we  get  to  it." 

"Don't  you  think  Mr.  Gray  is  the  best 
teacher  in  the  whole  world,  papa  ? "  asked 
Challey,  settling  down  again  on  the  floor. 

"  Certainly,  I  do,"  said  his  father.  "  But  I 
don't  see  exactly  how  you  manage,  if  you  fol- 
low history.  And  especially,  if  you  do  your 
best  and  Challey  shoots  for  the  British.  He 
must  be  a  better  shot  than  you,  Bob  ;  don't 
you  let  them  beat,  un  "  — 

"  NO  !  The  British  never  beat !  "  they  both 
roared  at  once.  Then  Challey  explained : 
"  You  see,  here  's  the  fort,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans have  got  possession  of  it,  and  the  best 
marbles  and  soldiers  are  inside.  Bob  manages 
that.  Then,  across  six  squares  of  the  carpet, 
here  is  the  enemy,  and  they  have  n't  so  many 
marbles,  and  their  soldiers  are  the  most  dam- 
aged and  can't  stand  up  so  well.  I  manage 
that.  Then  it  's  night,  and  the  British  are 
asleep  when  the  Americans  begin.  Bob  is  n't 
so  good  a  shot,  but  the  British  don't  wake  up 
till  he  's  had  one  good  hit.  By  agreeing  to 
that,  we  manage  pretty  well.  I  know,"  said 
Challey,  earnestly,  "  it 's  giving  the  Americans 


THE   CHEZZLES.  163 

the  advantage  every  time,  and  it 's  meaner  to 
take  the  enemy  by  surprise  !  It  's  lots  more 
fun  when  Bob  will  take  their  side,  because  I 
can  give  him  the  advantage  and  beat  him,  too. 
But  then,  this  way  is  better  than  letting  the 
British  beat." 

"  Yes  !  "  said  Bob,  dolefully ;  "  it  's  better 
than  that !  But  I  ain't  the  feller  to  turn  against 
my  country,  Challey ;  so  you  just  need  n't  ex- 
pect it !  Jim  Holburn  was  British  once,  and 
that  was  fun  ;  but  he  won't  be  it  any  more ; 
none  o'  the  boys  will.  How  would  you  manage, 
papa  ?  " 

But  the  question  was  a  puzzle  even  to  papa. 

"  We  tried  having  a  girl  once  —  Elva  Tuck- 
it  did  it,"  said  Challey ;  "  and  that  was  sort  o* 
good,  'cause  girls  are  n't  any  kind  o'  shots,  you 
know,  and  it  was  awfully  easy  to  beat  her.  But 
she  wanted  to  have  hospitals  and  take  care  of 
the  wounded  and  everything,  and  boys  don't 
care  for  that.  If  a  soldier's  leg  is  shot  off, 
why  it 's  off,  you  know,  an'  we  like  to  play  that 
he  don't  mind  it,  but  just  fires  once  more  and 
kills  a  British  officer,  and  then  he  dies." 

"  Yes,"  Bob  struck  in,  —  it  was  a  very  excit- 
ing play,  —  "  girls  are  n't  worth  anything  to 
play  battle  with !  Besides  the  wounded,  Elva 
wanted  a  Daughter  of  the  Regiment !  What 


164  THE   CHEZZLES. 

do  men  want  of  Daughters  of  the  Regiment 
going  round?  We  let  her  have  one  in  the 
enemy's  army ;  they  're  good  enough  for  the 
British  !  " 

So  the  boys  rattled  on  about  their  plays,  and 
Mr.  Chezzle  patched  up  the  American  army, 
making  more  chips  than  had  ever  been  seen 
before  on  the  sitting-room  carpet. 

"  But  I  've  been  obsarvin'  Captain  Pepper- 
sir,  most  par-tickler,"  said  Molly,  as  she  brushed 
up  the  litter  ;  "  an'  it  was  plazin'  to  his  faylins, 
sir,  that  yez  decloined  makin'  yersilf  comfort- 
ubble  in  the  porler.  An'  I  told  him,  says  I  to 
him,  Captain  Pepper-sir,  says  I,  l  it 's  Mr.  Chiz- 
zle  has  the  dilicate  comprehinsion  of  a  lone  wid- 
dywer,  wid  Mrs.  Chizzle  acrost  the  dape  ocean. 
An'  it  's  Molly  Dolan-sir,  says  I-sir,  that  '11 
respict  the  sperrit-faylins  of  Mrs.  Pepper  that 
was,  an'  not  be  doin'  annything  out  o'  place 
that  wuddent  be  in  accardence  wid  her  own 
ways.' ' 

Molly  suffered  unnecessary  anxiety  on  this 
score,  for  the  relief  which  it  was  to  Captain 
Pepper  to  have  Mr.  Chezzle  and  herself  re- 
sponsible for  Bob's  welfare,  crowded  out  of  his 
mind  his  usual  worries  concerning  the  house 
affairs.  Nevertheless,  Molly  trod  on  tiptoe  over 
the  sacred  mats  which  Luella  had  braided,  was 


THE   CHEZZLES.  165 

half  inclined  to  apologize  to  the  feather-beds 
for  shaking  them,  spread  the  sheets  and  blan- 
kets with  gentle  strokes  and  tuckings,  and  pat- 
ted the  pillows  soothingly.  She  also  gratified 
the  captain  by  admiring  the  ease  and  skill  which 
he  displayed  in  the  kitchen. 

He  had  n't  "  cooked  aboard  ship,  an'  been 
captain  an'  mate  an'  doctor  an'  highcockoloruni 
all  his  life  without  learning  a  few  things !  " 
he  told  her,  while  showing  her  how  to  make 
chowder. 

"  So  ye  need  n't  worrit,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir,  but 
I  '11  git  along  all  right,"  said  Molly. 

"  Indeed,  I  don't  worry  a  bit  about  you, 
Molly,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle ;  "  you  would  get 
along  anywhere." 

"  An'  aisy  it  is,  sir,"  said  Molly ;  "  an'  I  '11 
give  ye  a  resate  for  the  same.  Take  plinty  of 
instroocktion  —  that's  wan  thing.  Ye  must 
make  yersilf  willin'  to  be  taght  what  ye  know 
oil  about,  in  the  first  place  ;  and,  afther  that, 
obtain  fargiveness.  Niwer  moind  what  it  's 
far,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir ;  don't  be  thriflin'  wid 
findin'  out,  but  take  it  oil.  It  's  a  foine 
accomplishment  to  know  how  to  take  thim  two 
things,  an'  it 's  mesilf  that 's  taken  more  o' 
both,  in  me  toime,  than  ye  '11  find  in  a  thrug- 
shtore  !  " 


166  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Molly  sat  down  by  Bob's  sofa  to  mend  up 
his  and  Challey's  clothes,  which,  she  said,  looked 
"  as  if  the  fishes  had  been  takin'  a  chaw  at 
thim,  toimes  whin  dillicate  refrashment  like 
byes'  legs  was  denied  thim  !  " 

In  a  little  while  came  Shirley  Barnes  with 
the  sad  news  that  Ranna  was  very  dangerously 
ill,  and  petitioning  for  Challey  to  come.  Shir- 
ley was  sure  that  he  could  help  Ranna. 

"  It 's  'cause  she  's  scared  ;  she  got  scared 
when  Bob  got  bit,  an'  she  's  scared  so  it  makes 
her  mos'  die  !  "  sobbed  Shirley.  "  An'  I  ran  to 
get  Challey,  'cause  Ranny —  she  —  she  loves  him 
barrels-full.  Alex  an'  Jim  said  Challey  made 
her  quiet  when  she  was  rarin'  at  the  mash." 

"  0  come  !  come,  papa  !  "  cried  Challey, 
pulling  his  father  along.  "  I  do  know  what  to 
do.  Ranna  will  be  quiet  for  me,  'cause  you 
know  Bob  an'  I  saved  her  from  the  Indians 
when  she  was  lost ;  an'  when  I  put  my  hand 
softly  over  her  mouth  an'  shake  my  head,  it 
makes  her  as  still  as  anything  !  "  Challey  was 
hurrying  his  father  and  Captain  Pepper  down 
the  road  while  he  was  talking.  "  And,  papa," 
he  said,  squeezing  his  father's  hand,  "  you 
notice  Ranna  and  tell  me  if  you  know  what 
makes  me  feel  like  taking  care  of  her,  and  sorry 
for  her  even  when  she  's  happy." 


THE   CHEZZLES.  167 

When  they  reached  the  house,  Mr.  Chezzle 
and  Captain  Pepper  went  in  softly,  leaving  the 
two  boys  outside  to  wait  for  them. 

It  seemed  as  if  they  were  gone  a  long  time. 
Two  yellow-birds  in  the  silver  poplar  tree  were 
teaching  their  young  ones  to  fly  and  making  a 
great  to-do.  Looking  up  at  them,  Challey  saw 
Ranna's  old,  battered  straw  hat.  He  climbed  up 
for  it  and  was  very  tender  of  it.  Ranna's  moans 
came  through  the  windows,  and,  although  they 
knew  she  could  not  hear,  the  children  talked  in 
whispers.  Shirley  crept  into  the  house  and 
stayed  awhile,  trying  to  persuade  somebody  that 
Challey  could  help  Ranna,  if  he  could  only 
be  allowed  to  try.  He  came  out  again,  how- 
ever, and  said:  "No,  Challey,  they  won't  let 
anybody  but  papa  upstairs  !  They  say  Ranny 
don't  know  anybody  now,  an'  she  's  rarin' 
wuss  than  ever  !  /  know  wot  ails  her,  but 
they  won't  listen  to  me  'cause  I  'm  only  a  little 
boy ! "  Challey  put  his  arm  over  Shirley's 
neck  and  said :  "  Come,  let  's  tell  Molly  all 
about  it,  Shirley ;  she  '11  listen,  I  know." 

So  Shirley  told  Molly  his  whole  story  at  last, 
saying,  at  the  end  :  "  I  know  it 's  all  Cale  Bix 
an'  Crissy  Jones  that  scared  her  mos'  to  death  ! 
That  's  wot  's  the  matter,  Molly  ;  an'  —  wo- 
won't  you  go  tell  the  people  ?  Cale  an'  Crissy 


168  THE  CHEZZLES. 

has  gone  off  to  Bedford  on  Cap'm  Jones's 
schooner ;  but  they  would  n't  tell  the  truth,  if 
they  was  here  !  An'  it  is  the  truth  ;  an'  I  'm 
go-goin'  to  f-f-f-fight  both  o'  them  boys,  I 
am ! !  " 

But  Molly  was  a  great  comfort  to  Shirley 
and  sent  him  home  brighter  for  her  promise  to 
tell  Mr.  Chezzle  and  Captain  Pepper  his  story, 
at  least. 

Bob  declared  it  was  all  nonsense.  "  /  'm 
the  feUow  that  got  bit,"  he  said,  "  and  if  /ain't 
scared,  I  don't  see  why  anybody  else  is ! " 

Mr.  Chezzle  and  Captain  Pepper  came  in,  and 
to  them  Molly  repeated  Shirley's  story.  The 
captain  was  inclined  to  treat  it  as  child's  talk 
and  of  no  consequence,  but  Mr.  Chezzle  lis- 
tened to  it  more  seriously. 

"Where  is  Challey?"  he  asked.  "Every 
one  seems  to  agree  that  he  quieted  the  poor 
little  girl  when  others  failed ;  let  us  find  what 
he  has  to  say.  Where  is  Challey,  Bob  ?  " 

Bob  pointed  to  the  soles  of  Challey's  shoes 
sticking  out  from  under  the  big  leaf  of  a  table. 

"  You  might  as  well  come  out,  Challey ; 
everybody  knows  you  're  there,"  said  Bob. 

Challey's  face  worked  painfully  as  he  crawled 
out. 

"Come  here,  Challey-boy,"  said  his  father, 


THE    CHEZZLES.  169 

gently,  and  lifting  him  upon  his  knee.  "  Tell 
papa  what  it  is,  dear  boy." 

Challey  buried  his  face  against  his  father's 
bosom  and  broke  down,  sobbing. 

"  It 's  all  Ranna,"  he  said,  brokenly.  "  She 's 
so  little,  papa !  An*  she  don't  know  even  so 
much  as  Zanzibar,  but  she  wants  to,  an'  she 
looks,  an'  looks,  an'  looks  at  me  just  as  if  she 
believed  /  knew  everything  !  And  I  feel  as  if 
she  'd  die  if  I  did  n't  find  out  now  what  fright- 
ens her  !  Maybe  I  could !  Maybe  I  could  !  " 

"  An'  so  you  shall  —  you  shall,  me  darlint !  " 
said  Molly,  interrupting  and  putting  away  her 
work.  "  It 's  the  Lord  that 's  maybe  given  it 
to  the  chilt  to  know,  Mr.  Chizzle-sir,  an'  it 's 
His  wark  denyin'  spache  to  the  pore  -little  lone 
thing  yander ;  an'  it 's  not  for  me  nor  anny 
one  to  be  sayin'  that  it 's  not  the  sowl  o'  Saint 
Michael  himsilf  that 's  spakin'  troo  the  moind 
of  Challey  this  blessed  minute  of  toime  !  It 's 
Bob  does  n't  nade  me  the  whilst  I  take  a 
smahl  run  an'  make  Mrs.  Barnes  an  offer  of  me 
sar  vices  for  a  shart  time  annyhow  !  "  So  say- 
ing, Molly  hurried  away,  and  Challey,  much 
relieved,  set  to  work  to  repair  the  ruins  of  the 
broken  forts. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Chezzle  returned  to 
Boston.  But  Captain  Pepper  begged  Molly  to 


170  THE   CHEZZLES. 

remain  for  a  week  or  so,  and  he  was  particu- 
larly glad  to  have  her  consent  because  her  visit 
to  the  little  Ranna  had  proved  of  great  service 
to  Debby.  So  she  stayed ;  and  every  day,  after 
devoting  the  morning  to  Bob  and  giving  such 
assistance  in  the  house  affairs  as  the  captain 
would  allow,  she  went  to  take  the  mother's 
place  beside  Ranna  for  a  few  hours.  What  a 
comfort  it  was  to  Debby  to  see  Molly's  fresh, 
bright  face  in  the  doorway,  only  Debby  her- 
self and  Elisha  knew. 


XIV. 

HOW  CHALLET  SAVED  RANNA's    LIFE  WHEN   NOBODY   ELSE 
COULD. 

BOB  was  disappointed.  His  leg  got  well  so 
fast  that  he  did  not  have  half  the  fun  he 
had  expected  out  of  the  crutches.  And,  worse 
still,  Captain  Pepper  took  them  away  from 
him  just  when  he  wanted  them  the  most, 
which  made  Bob  call  him  an  "  Injungiver  !  " 
He  called  the  captain  that  dreadful  name  at 
night,  in  the  dark,  after  Challey  and  he  were 
in  bed,  when  the  captain  had  gone  to  smoke 
his  pipe  on  the  front  porch.  And  he  said  he 
wished  Molly  had  not  moved  over  to  Shirley's 
house,  so  that  "  she  could  put  him  to  bed, 
'stead  of  Cap'm  Pepper  !  " 

"  That    is   n't    fair,    Bob,"    said    Challey. 
"  Cap'm  Pepper  only  took  your  crutches  away 


172  THE   CHEZZLES. 

because  you  were  learning  to  go  down-stairs 
backwards  and  climb  over  the  fence  with  them. 
And  he  said  he  reckoned  he  took  'em  just  in 
time  to  save  your  life." 

"  I  don't  care  !  "  said  Bob.  "  He  would  n't 
let  me  even  bring  'em  to  bed  ;  and  he  is  a 
Injungiver  1 " 

"  Well,"  said  Challey,  "  you  know  you  could 
n't  help  rolling  over  onto  'em  and  waking  your- 
self up,  Bob.  And  when  you  wake  up,  all  the 
rest  of  us  have  got  to  wake  up  too  !  " 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  'd  wake  somebody  up 
if  you  dreamt  you  got  lost  and  a  buffalo's 
horns  "  —  Bob's  voice  was  wailing  off  into  a 
cry,  he  was  so  sorry  for  himself. 

"Anyhow,  Bob,"  said  Challey,  "the  buffalo 
is  n't  here  now.  Do  be  still.  You  know,  at 
any  rate,  that  your  leg  has  been  well  for  ever 
so  long,  and  you  have  n't  needed  the  crutches 
since  "  — 

"Yes  I  have  too!"  cried  Bob.  "  MoUy 
said  when  she  was  here  that  of  course  my  leg 
was  stiffer  in  the  mornings.  But  it  gets  better 
by  the  time  breakfast 's  atten.  It  '11  be  worse, 
though,  to-morrow ;  you  see  if  it  is  n't !  Just 
wait  till  Cap'm  Pepper  sees  me  try  to  walk 
without  crutches  !  He  '11  feel  sorry  enough 
then  /" 


THE   CHEZZLES.  173 

"  Well,  you  won't  get  'em  back,  I  don't  be- 
lieve, anyhow,"  said  Challey ;  "  and  you  ought 
n't  to  call  him  ( Injungiver '  because  you  know 
you  're  only  mad  and  you  really  love  him." 

"  No  I  don't ;  I  hate  him ! "  said  Bob. 
"  He  's  as  bad  as  the  British  !  Everybody  is 
as  bad  as  the  British  when  they  don't  do  any- 
thing I  want  'em  to.  And  when  I  'm  mad, 
I  donit  love  people  —  I  hate  'em  !  " 

"  Cap'm  Pepper  read  out  of  the  Bible  that 
you  must  n't  stay  angry  after  the  sun  went 
down ;  and  he  said  we  'd  feel  bad  if  we  went 
to  sleep  hating  anybody,"  said  Challey. 

"  /won't !  "  said  Bob.  "  I  just  as  lief  go  to 
sleep  hating  'em  as  to  stay  awake  hating  'em  ; 
and  I  don't  believe  that,  anyhow.  /  think 
it 's  a  lot  wickeder  to  hate  while  you  're  awake, 
'cause  you  know  what  you  're  about  then,  and 
if  you  go  to  sleep  doing  it  you  liave  to  stop. 
You  can't  hate  folks  while  you  're  snoring,  can 
you  ?  So  there  !  " 

"  Well  anyhow,  you  'd  better  say,  ( Forgive 
us,'  over  again,"  said  Challey,  who  felt  virtuous 
in  contrast  with  Bob's  state  of  mind. 

"  I  won't !  "  said  Bob.  "  I  don't  want  the 
Father  in  Heaven  to  forgive  me  to-night.  I  'm 
not  going  to  ask  him  to  do  it  till  to-morrow, 
and  maybe  not  till  the  day  after." 


174  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Challey  gave  up  trying  any  further  to  im- 
press Christian  feelings  upon  his  brother,  and 
that  unrepentant  little  sinner,  since  the  truth 
must  be  told,  went  to  sleep  entirely  satisfied 
with  his  own  perversity.  When  morning  came, 
however,  his  ill-feelings  had  vanished,  and  he 
went  to  breakfast  "  piggy-back  "  on  the  cap- 
tain's shoulders,  entirely  forgetting  that  he  had 
intended  to  decline  the  invitation  and  to  limp 
down-stairs  by  himself  in  the  most  painful  man- 
ner possible. 

The  captain  trotted  with  him  around  the 
breakfast  table,  out,  through  the  kitchen,  into 
the  garden,  —  Challey  holding  on  to  the  tail  of 
his  pea-jacket,  —  around  the  house,  and  back 
again  into  the  sitting-room,  where  he  stopped 
in  front  of  the  high  clock.  "  HoUoa  !  Is  it 
mine  ?  "  asked  Bob,  taking  a  letter  from  the 
clock-face. 

"  It 's  for  both,  I  reckon,  as  it  has  n't  got 
either  of  your  given  names  on  it.  Let  Chal- 
ley open  it,  as  he  is  the  biggest,"  the  captain 
said. 

Challey  recognized  his  cousin  Maria's  irreg- 
ular handwriting.  "  Mess-mess-i-eurs,"  he  read. 
"  That  is  n't  in  our  names.  But  it 's  our  letter, 
because  (  Chezzle  '  comes  after  it.  I  don't  see 
why  she  calls  us  *  Mess-i-ers.' ' 


THE   CHEZZLES.  175 

"  Perhaps  it 's  the  French  for  (  messmates,'  ' 
said  Bob,  and  they  agreed  at  once  that  it  was. 

It  was  a  good  deal  of  trouble  to  read  one  of 
Maria's  letters,  because  of  the  French  phrases 
and  terminations.  Letters  are  not  always 
sources  of  unmitigated  pleasure  to  boys,  espe- 
cially when  they  have  to  be  answered. 

"  Our  cousin  Maria  'd  be  a  lot  nicer  if  she 
was  our  language,"  Bob  said. 

"  Yes,"  said  Challey,  "  French  is  worse  than 
Mr.  Steeples  when  he  comes  to  our  house  to 
dinner ; "  and  he  further  explained  to  Captain 
Pepper,  "  Mr.  Steeples  knows  everything,  and 
he  teaches  it  to  people  at  the  table." 

"  There  !  "  said  the  captain,  thinking  it  was 
as  well  not  to  discuss  Mr.  Steeples.  "  Here 
are  the  spuds,"  setting  a  dish  of  baked  pota- 
toes on  the  table.  "  Come,  eat  your  breakfast, 
an'  then  run  along  to  Miss  Leigh  with  your 
letter." 

The  boys  always  carried  Maria's  letters  to 
Miss  Leigh,  the  school-teacher,  to  get  them 
translated,  or  interpreted.  But  they  had 
planned  to  dig  clams  this  morning,  and  Chal- 
ley said  :  "  It  '11  be  a  dreadful  waste  of  low 
tide  to  go ! 

"  I  wish  Maria  'd  send  her  letters  in  the 
noon  mail-bag,  or  else  —  there  !  "  he  suddenly 


176  THE   CHEZZLES. 

broke  out,  intensely  bored,  and  flinging  him- 
self upon  his  seat  at  the  table.  "  I  just  hate 
French  letters  !  And  I  don't  care  a  snap  about 
the  French  country,  either !  " 

"  Belay  your  f eelins  for  a  spell,"  said  Cap- 
tain Pepper.  "  I  've  got  a  notion  —  only  a  no- 
tion, mind,  that  you  '11  have  a  better  opinion  of 
the  French  nation  and  maybe  of  the  language 
into  the  bargain,  after  you  read  that  letter." 

"  Why?  why?"  asked  both  boys,  for  there 
was  a  twinkle  in  the  captain's  eye,  and  he 
looked  as  if  he  knew  something  very  pleasant. 

"  Never  you  mind  why,"  he  said ;  "  but  I 
don't  often  get  a  notion  into  the  sou'sou'west 
corner  of  my  intellect  unless  it  means  some- 
thing." 

It  certainly  did  this  time.  Half  an  hour  af- 
terwards, the  boys  were  sitting  on  the  captain's 
fence,  with  Alex  and  Clifford  Tuckit,  Jim  Hoi- 
burn,,  and  Shirley  Barnes,  all  huddled  in  a  com- 
pact row,  Challey  and  Bob  in  the  middle.  The 
captain's  prediction  proved  correct.  The  feel- 
ings of  the  two  boys  toward  the  French  had 
altered.  Not  only  that,  they  meant  everybody 
to  know  it. 

"  /  think  French  is  the  best  language  in  the 
whole  world  ;  don't  you,  Challey  ?  "  said  Bob. 

"  Yes  sir-ee,  of   course  I  do,"  said  Challey. 


THE  CHEZZLES.  1,7:7 

"  And  when  it 's  mixed  up  with  English  it  's 
just  splendid  ! " 

"  Ken  you  speak  it  ?  "  asked  Clifford. 

«  Ye  -  e  -  es  ! "  said  Bob.  «  Of  course  ! 
Dunny-moy  de  burr  —  that  's  French.  And 
I  think  France  is  the  best  country,  too,  except 
America." 

"  So  do  I !  "  cried  ChaUey.  "  If  there 's  ever 
a  war  between  France  and  any  other  country, 
/  'm  going  to  stand  up  for  France  !  " 

"So  am  I!"  said  Bob.  "And  won't  I 
give  it  to  —  to  the  French's  enemy !  "  Bob 
doubled  up  his  fists  and  glared  at  Shirley,  who 
wagged  his  head  and  said  '  he  guessed  he  'd 
join  the  French  too.' 

"  Well !  "  said  Bob,  swelling  up  so  much 
with  importance  that  he  was  obliged  to  get 
down  from  the  fence  to  imitate  Captain  Pep- 
per by  giving  his  small  breeches  a  hitch.  "  I 
guess  any  fellow  that  wants  to  sail  my  French 
boat  '11  have  to  go  in  for  Maria  an'  Uncle 
Tom,  anyhow ! " 

"  Who  's  M'riar  ?  "  asked  Clifford. 

Bob  did  not  stop  to  take  breath.  "  She  's 
our  French  cousin  over  in  Europe  and  her 
father 's  our  Uncle  Tom  and  she  's  the  best 
and  nicest  cousin  in  the  whole  world  and  so  's 
Uncle  Tom  the  best  uncle  any  boy  ever  had  !  " 


178  THE  CHEZZLES. 

he  screamed,  louder  and  louder,  while  Challey 
was  saying  in  a  steady  undertone  :  "  She  's 
Maria  Annty-net  Penroy  and  her  father  's  my 
mother's  big  brother  and  they  live  in  France 
where  they  make  the  best  ships  and,  if  you 
want  me  to,  I  '11  read  her  letter  about  the  boats 
out  loud." 

As  Bob  talked  the  fastest,  he  got  through 
first,  and  the  last  clause  of  Challey's  speech 
was  understood  and  met  with  approval.  So  he 
pulled  the  letter,  much  crumpled  already,  out 
of  his  pocket  and  read  as  follows,  interpreting 
as  he  went  along  :  — 

"  l  MAY  SHAKE  KOOZANGS.'  That 's  the 
French  for  'my  dear  cousins.'  You  will  get 
two  boats.  It  is  mong  papa  that  send  me  to  the 
store  to  buy  them.  Share  Tont '  —  that  means 
'  dear  aunt ' ;  she  calls  mamma  that.  '  Share 
Tont  is  much  a-tonny  they  are  so  big  but  my 
papa  think  them  tooty  fay  bong.'  '  A-tonny  ' 
means  astonished,  and  i  tooty  fay  bong '  means 
'  entirely  good.'  1 1  tell  share  Tont  that  I  love 
may  koozangs  tray  large  boats  full  with  many 
sails.  Ad-jew,  voter  koozeen, 

MARIA  ANNTY-NET  PENROY.'  ' 

Challey  felt  very  scholarly  to  be  able  to  in- 
terpret so  much  French,  and  the  boys  admired 


THE   CHEZZLES.  179 

him  greatly.  They  all  went  in  a  body  to  con- 
sult Captain  Pepper  about  the  time  when  the 
boats  might  arrive.  As  Mrs.  Chezzle  had 
written  to  him  not  to  look  for  them  until  near 
Challey's  birthday,  and  as  that  was  not  to  be 
until  August  16th,  nearly  a  fortnight,  the  cap- 
tain decided  to  interest  them  during  the  in- 
terval in  the  building  of  a  miniature  wharf  on 
his  little  strip  of  beach  ;  a  decision  which  was 
a  stroke  of  genius  on  his  part,  as,  without  it, 
the  impatience  of  the  boys  would  have  been 
hard  to  bear. 

The  hope  that  Ranna  would  be  well  by 
the  birthday  helped  also  to  make  the  children 
more  patient.  The  poor  little  mute  continued 
very  ill,  however,  and  was  either  in  a  stupor  or 
delirious  most  of  the  time.  Molly,  after  Bob 
ceased  to  need  her,  had  taken  up  her  abode  at 
the  Barnes's  cottage,  and,  with  her  natural  love 
for  children,  and  her  interest  in  Ranna  much 
increased  by  Challey  and  Shirley,  she  was  a  most 
skilful  nurse. 

One  day  a  slight  incident  gave  her  a  new 
clue  to  the  situation.  She  was  arranging  things 
more  tidily  in  a  closet  and  happened  to  hang  on 
a  peg  at  the  foot  of  the  child's  bed  the  little 
dress  which  had  been  wrapped  around  Bob's 
leg  when  the  fish  had  bitten  him.  Ranna, 


180  THE   CHEZZLES. 

coming  out  of  a  stupor,  caught  sight  of  it  and 
instantly  became  violently  excited.  It  did  not 
take  Molly  long  to  discover  that  the  sight  of 
the  dress  was  enough  to  fill  the  child  with  fear 
which  was  painful  to  witness.  She  put  it  away, 
after  satisfying  herself  of  the  fact,  and  set  to 
work  to  think,  while  she  sewed  with  great  en- 
ergy. By  and  by,  when  Debby  came  in,  Molly, 
with  a  new  idea  in  her  mind,  put  on  her  bonnet 
and  went  in  search  of  Challey.  She  found  him 
at  work  upon  the  wharf,  and  taking  him  to  a 
point  at  a  little  distance  from  which  a  window 
in  the  Barnes  cottage  was  visible,  told  him  to 
look  at  it  often,  and  if  he  saw  a  towel  fastened 
to  the  shutter  to  go  to  her  at  once.  Two  days 
afterwards  Challey  perceived  the  signal,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  was  clattering  up  the  stairs  lead- 
ing to  Ranna's  room.  Molly  hurried  to  meet 
him  in  the  entry. 

"  Whisht !  she  's  slaping,"  she  said. 

"  But  she  could  n't  hear  me,  Molly,"  said 
Challey,  out  of  breath  with  running,  "if  I 
made  the  loudest  noise  I  can." 

"  I  know,  I  know,  darlint,"  said  Molly ;  "  but 
it 's  not  aisy  to  remimber  that  same.  Nivver 
moind  it  —  only  mark  what  I  '11  be  sayin*. 
Rannan  slapes  heavy  —  the  same  as  she  's  sla- 
pin'  this  minute,  ontil  her  breath  grows  that 


THE   CHEZZLES.  181 

hard  she  's  not  able  to  draw  it  longer  an'  thin 
she  wakes  up  suddent.  I  've  been  watchin', 
an'  I  've  larned  wan  thing :  she  's  in  a  fright 
manny  an'  manny  a  toime ;  but  —  ye  moind 
now  what  yersilf  an'  Shulley  told  me  whin  I 
axed  yez  all  about  it  —  the  dress  she  had  on 
that  day,  an'  thim  oogly  byes  had  it  shakin' 
at  her  the  day  she  tuk  sick  —  do  ye  moind, 
Challey  ?  " 

Challey,  with  his  glorious  eyes  fixed  upon 
Molly's  face,  minded  every  syllable.  "  Go  on  ; 
don't  stop,  Molly,"  was  all  he  said. 

"  Well,  darlint,"  continued  MoUy,  "  the 
fright  takes  her,  whin  she  sets  eyes  on  that 
dress,  in  a  way  that 's  ahful  to  say ;  an'  I  've 
made  up  me  moind  that  she  thinks,  whin  she  's 
lookin'  at  it,  that  she  's  there  at  the  same  spot 
agin  where  yez  played  wid  the  whale.  Whisht 
now !  an'  don't  spake,  for  she  '11  be  wakin' 
shartly.  Ye  moind  how  she  went  mad  wid  the 
sight  o'  blood  that  day  ?  Maybe  she 's  thinkin' 
it  oil  over,  an'  Shulley  says  the  dress  was  covered 
wid  it.  Now  it  was  yous,  Challey,  that  got  her 
quiet  thin;  I  want  yez  to  do  the  same  now. 
Come  in  the  room  quiet,  me  love,  an'  stan' 
where  her  eyes  '11  light  on  ye.  I  want  Rannan 
to  see  ChaUey  Chizzle  instid  o'  the  ahful  thing 
in  her  moind  !  An'  I  've  talked  it  over  wid  her 


182  THE  CHEZZLES. 

mother  that 's  in  there  too,  to   see  what  the 
chilt  '11  do  whin  she  sees  him !  " 

Molly  led  Challey  into  the  room.  His  face 
worked,  and  he  could  not  help  crying  at  first, 
Ranna  looked  so  unnatural  and  wasted.  Debby 
drew  him  close  to  her,  and  stood  with  him  at 
the  foot  of  the  little  bed.  How  heavy  Ran- 
na's  breathing  was  !  He  thought  it  must  hurt 
to  breathe  like  that.  And  she  waited  so  long 
between  !  He  counted  six  of  his  own  breaths 
in  the  intervals.  He  was  counting  again,  when 
Molly  said : 

"  Whisht !  she 's  wakin' ;  closer,  Challey  — 
there ! "  The  two  women  stood  aside  and 
waited,  motionless. 

One  mighty  breath,  a  start,  and  Ranna' s 
eyes  opened  wide.  Challey  was  bending  over 
her ;  she  looked  right  into  his  face.  He 
smiled  touchingly  at  her  and  laid  his  hands 
upon  hers.  Look  !  Was  that  the  beginning 
of  a  smile  upon  her  lips  ?  It  passed  too 
quickly  to  tell.  With  a  violent  start,  she 
threw  both  arms  around  Challey  and  clung  to 
him  an  instant.  Then  she  let  go  with  one 
hand  to  point  to  something  at  the  foot  of  the 
bed,  hid  her  face  against  him,  and  trembled  all 
over.  Again  and  again  she  did  the  same  thing, 
let  go,  clung  to  him,  and  made  desperate  mute 


THE   CHEZZLES.  183 

appeals  to  him.  Challey  tried  his  innocent 
wiles  to  quiet  her,  but  in  vain  ;  she  only  re- 
peated her  frantic  gestures. 

Challey  looked  imploringly  at  Molly.  "  Yes, 
darlint,  I  think  I  know  !  "  said  Molly,  her 
face  white  as  snow,  and  her  eyes  intensely 
eager.  "  Kape  yer  place  beside  her  till  I  tell 
yez  to  do  somethin'  ;  an'  will  ye  do  it  Challey 
bye?  Will  ye  do  it?" 

"  Yes,  Molly  ;  yes  I  will,  if  she  '11  let  me," 
sobbed  Challey. 

"  Go  thin,  whin  I  say  the  wurrid,"  said 
Molly  ;  "  go  thin,  swateheart,  an'  take  Rannau's 
dress  from  where  it 's  hangin'  there.  Bring  it 
to  her,  so  she  '11  see  it  plain  as  the  day  "  — 

"  Oh  Molly  !  "  moaned  Challey,  beseeching. 

"  Do  it  jest  as  I  tell  yez,  me  love  !  "  said 
Molly,  steadily.  "  Show  it  to  her  plain,  an' 
thin  take  it  slow  —  slow,  to  let  her  watch  yez 
—  take  it  to  the  fire  on  the  hearth,  and  let  her 
see  yez  put  it  right  onto  the  coals  —  an'  the 
whilst  ye  do  that,  I  '11  make  her  look  at  it 
burnin'.  Now,  me  love  —  now  !  "  —  Molly 
unclasped  Ranna's  arms  from  Challey 's  neck, 
liftecl  her,  although  she  struggled  violently,  and 
held  her  firmly  in  her  strong  arms  while  the 
boy  did  as  she  had  told  him.  Ranna  watched 
his  every  motion.  Her  face  was  drawn  with 


184  THE   CHEZZLES. 

terror  and  pitiful  to  behold  as  he  showed  her 
the  dress,  but,  as  he  walked  with  it  to  the 
fireplace  and  set  it  ablaze ;  as  she  saw  it  burn, 
—  Molly  carried  her  close  to  the  fire,  —  as  the 
little  gown  lost  all  shape  in  the  flames  and 
burned  to  ashes,  a  change  came  over  Ranna. 
The  muscles  of  her  face  relaxed,  her  eyes  lost 
their  wildness,  she  turned  to  Challey  with  one 
long  look  of  love,  —  love  and  unbounded  grati- 
tude, —  and  at  last !  at  last !  her  own  rare, 
wonderful  smile  broke  all  over  her  face. 

"  Nearer,  Challey,  nearer,  dear  boy ;  she 
wants  you !  "  whispered  Debby,  hoarsely,  kneel- 
ing with  clasped  hands,  and  never  taking  her 
eyes  from  Ranna.  Challey  drew  close  just  in 
time  to  let  the  little  head  fall  upon  his  neck 
and  feel  one  caress  from  the  child's  hands 
before  they  fell,  sliding,  powerless,  from  his 
shoulders. 

"  That 's  all  right  now  !  All  right  now  !  " 
said  Molly's  cheery  voice.  "  Don't  cry  no 
more,  Challey  love,  but  go  send  the  doctor  to 
us  an'  tell  him  the  wark  '11  be  hopefuller  now  !  " 
Challey  ran  like  the  wind. 

Late  that  night,  when  the  captain  went  up- 
stairs and  looked  in  at  the  children,  Bob  was 
fast  asleep,  but  Challey  was  sitting  bolt-upright 
in  bed. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  185 

"  H'lo,  messmate  !  what  the  matter  ?  "  asked 
the  captain,  sitting  down  on  the  edge  of  his 
cot. 

"  I  can't  sleep,"  said  Challey,  tears  rolling 
down  his  cheeks.  "  I  keep  feeling  Ranna's 
head  right  here,"  touching  his  neck,  "  and  I 
can  see  her  face  the  way  it  was  —  and  then," 
sobs  came  so  that  it  was  hard  to  get  the  words 
out,  —  "  the  way  it  was,  all  dreadful,  and  then 
—  then  —  the  way  the  angels  look  !  " 

"  But  she  is  n't  an  angel  yet,  boy  !  No  !  " 
said  the  captain,  cheerfully  ;  "  an'  she  won't  be 
for  a  long  spell.  She 's  ridin'  on  a  quiet  sea 
now,  my  boy,  full  sail,  with  a  fair  wind,  an' 
she  '11  git  into  port  mighty  soon,  with  all  her 
colors  flyin'  at  her  topmast !  Think  o'  that, 
Challey!" 

"I  know  it,"  said  Challey,  with  a  little, 
happy  laugh,  and  wiping  his  eyes  with  his 
nightgown  sleeve.  "I  —  I  ain't  cryin',  Cap'm 
Pepper  !  it  's  water  that  comes  into  —  into 
my  eyes  !  I  'm  so  glad  she  's  goin'  to  get  well 
that  —  I  'm  laughing,  I  am  —  I  can't  help  it !  " 
he  added,  with  a  sob.  "  But  I  want  to  know 
something.  Do  you  think  "  —  Challey's  eyes 
were  so  big  and  earnest  now  —  "  do  you  think 
God  understands  Ranna  ?  " 

"  Why  yes,  of  course  I  do,"  said  the  cap- 


186  THE  CHEZZLES. 

tain.  "  Everybody  understands  what  they  make 
themselves,  Challey,  of  course !  And  she  is  n't 
any  more  of  a  puzzle  to  the  Lord  than  —  than 
the  little  boat  you  made  yesterday  is  to  you  ! 
Now  go  to  sleep,  sonny,  an'  ye  '11  see  things 
clear  as  sunshine  in  the  morning." 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  said  Challey,  nestling  down 
contentedly  under  the  bedclothes.  "  Ranna  's 
ah1  right,  if  He  understands.  I  'm  glad  He 
does,  but  I  wish  He  did  n't  have  to  keep  it  a 
secret !  " 


XV. 

THE    LAUNCHING    OF    THE    "  MABIA    PEPPER "  AND    THE 
"  THOMAS  ANTOINETTE." 

f^\ HALLE Y'S  birthday  came  at  last,  and  the 
\J  boxes  containing  the  famous  boats  were 
out  in  Captain  Pepper's  wood-house.  And  he 
was  not  the  man  to  keep  boys  waiting  —  not 
he !  Instead  of  trotting  around  the  garden, 
with  Bob  on  his  back  and  Challey  following 
behind,  to  take  their  morning  "  shake-up " 
before  breakfast,  the  captain  made  a  bee-line 
for  the  wood-house,  and  the  boys  had  a  good 
chance  to  examine  the  big  cases,  with  Charles 
T.  P.  Chezzle  on  one,  and  Robert  H.  Chezzle 
on  the  other,  printed  in  rousing  big  letters, 
and  plenty  of  daubs  and  labels  on  both. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  eat  breakfast  that 
morning  ;  there  was  no  dawdling.  And  after 
that  was  over,  the  only  thing  they  had  to  do 
was  to  run  across  the  road  to  get  the  Tuckit 


188  THE   CHEZZLES. 

family  and  send  little  Cliff  to  tell  Jim  Holburn 
and  just  a  few  of  the  other  boys.  Cliff's  legs 
were  sturdy,  though,  if  they  were  little,  and  it 
was  astonishing  how  quickly  he  collected  a 
crowd.  There  were  "  ohs  !  "  in  every  key  that 
was  ever  invented,  at  sight  of  the  boxes,  but 
when  the  ends  were  unscrewed  and  the  ships 
were  slid  out  on  runners,  as  if  they  were  being 
launched,  the  rafters  rang  with  shouts. 

There  had  never  been  an  excitement  of  the 
kind  in  Nipsit,  and  the  boy  populace  were  de- 
lighted. For  the  Chezzle  boys  were  neither 
exclusive  nor  selfish,  and  this  meant  fun  for 
everybody.  The  captain  selected  certain  boys 
to  help  Challey  and  Bob  carry  the  boats  down 
to  the  shore,  and  they  were  joined  by  every 
child  who  caught  sight  or  sound  of  what  was 
going  on. 

Then  the  little  ships  were  launched  from  the 
new  wharf,  amid  the  waving  of  all  the  flags 
which  Uncle  Tom  had  sent  with  them.  They 
sailed  beautifully,  and  in  the  course  of  fifteen 
minutes  there  were  more  little  bare  legs  pad- 
dling over  the  shoals  than  it  was  easy  to  count, 
and  enough  to  furnish  a  meal  for  a  whole 
school  of  young  sharks  !  ,  A  fine  morning  the 
children  had  of  it,  for  the  sun  was  warm  and 
the  tide  low  enough  to  admit  of  plenty  of  wad- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  189 

ing.  Dinner  was  looked  upon  as  a  frightful 
bore.  Challey  and  Bob  were  followed  back 
to  the  wood-house  by  a  retinue  of  boys,  for 
they  had  grown  very  popular  indeed. 

But  every  one  had  gone  when  Elva  Tuckit, 
who  had  been  down  on  the  shore  with  the  baby 
in  her  arms,  spied  little  Jim  Holburn  running 
by  the  garden  fence,  wiping  his  eyes  with  his 
shirt-sleeve. 

"  What 's  the  matter,  Jim  ?  "  said  Elva,  head- 
ing him  off  gently.  Elva  was  very  good  to 
Jhn.  In  fact,  she  was  good  to  children  gen- 
erally, helped  many  an  one  out  of  a  scrape, 
and  had  eyes  that  were  quick  to  discover  the 
chance  to  do  them  a  good  turn.  Elva  was 
freckled  and  ungainly,  her  nose  was  larger 
than  she  wished  it  was,  and  her  feet  clumsier, 
but  there  was  grace  and  beauty  in  her  soul. 

She  hoisted  the  baby  deftly  upon  her  left 
arm  and  had  a  hand  to  lay  upon  Jim's  shoulder. 
Jim  smothered  a  sob  with  a  tremendous  sniff. 

"  Here  !  "  said  Elva,  confidentially  ;  "  come 
into  the  barn-yard  —  nobody  '11  see  us  behind 
the  hen-coop."  She  led  him  by  the  hand  and 
said  again  :  "  What  's  the  matter,  Jim  ?  Were 
the  boys  ugly  to  ye  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Jim,  mournfully  ;  "  I  1-1-loike  'em 
dreadful  much,  but "  —  , 


190  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  But  what,  Jim  ? "  asked  Elva,  sitting  the 
baby  on  the  hen-coop  while  she  righted  Jim's 
hair  and  put  his  cap  on  straight.  "  Ye  need  n't 
mind  tellin'  me,  ye  know ;  did  ye  get  hurt  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  said  Jim,  looking  up  to  her  with  a 
tinge  of  scorn.  "  As  ef  I  'd  croy  'cause  I  'd 
got  hurt !  I  hain't  croyin'  neow,  an'  I  hain't 
agoin'  to,  nuther."  Elva  said,  "  Of  course 
not !  "  and  Jim  went  on  :  "  But  them  boats, 
Elvy  !  Don't  yew  wish  you  bed  a  cousin  Mriar 
an'  uncle  Tom?  But  don't  tell  I  croyed  — 
will  ye?" 

"  No  indeed,"  said  Elva,  feeling  a  pang  for 
poor  little  Jim.  "  Ye  did  n't  cry  enough  to 
tell  about,  Jim.  But  ye  '11  get  a  sight  o'  fun 
out  o'  them  boats  —  see  if  ye  don't.  Chal  an' 
Bobby  are  real  friendly  boys,  Jim,  an'  they  '11 
let  you  be  captain  sometimes  —  I  '11  ask  'em 
to,  myself." 

"  Will  ye  ?  "  said  Jim.  "  Then  they  '11  do  it,  I 
should  n't  wonder,  tomorrer  mornin' !  G'bye  !  " 

Jim  ran  home  while  Elva  lifted  up  the  baby 
again  and  thought  to  herself  that  it  would  be 
nice  if  Jim  had  an  uncle  Tom,  or  a  cousin,  or 
something ! 

A  drizzling  rain  the  next  day  prevented  the 
boys  from  sailing  their  boats  again,  but  it  gave 
a  fine  opportunity  for  writing  letters  of  thanks 


THE   CHEZZLES.  191 

to  their  uncle  and  cousin.  They  were  very 
economical  of  time  spent  in  this  way,  and  agreed 
to  divide  the  expression  of  their  gratitude  be- 
tween Uncle  Tom  and  Maria  ;  Challey  to  write 
to  the  former,  and  Bob  to  the  latter. 

Challey  wrote  :  — 

"  DEAR  UNCLE  TOM,  I  thank  you  very  moch 
for  my  boat.  We  sailed  them  yestidy  and  all 
the  boys  go  in  for  the  french  and  we  luffed  the 
sales  and  highsted  the  colors  and  played  on  the 
sholes  bearlegd.  Thair  is  a  fog  and  I  tell  You 
if  they  is  a  war  with  f ranee  Bob  and  I  are  go- 
ing to  fite  for  You  and  Cousin  maria  and  so 
are  all  the  boys  in  Nipsit  and  captin  Pepper. 
I  love  You  and  maria  and  mamma  big  war 
vessles  full  wen  is  mamma  coming  home. 

CHARLES  TEMPLETON  PENROY  CHEZZLE. 

"  ps  captain  Pepper  took  Bob's  krutches  away 
'cause  he  said  Bob  wood  keel  over  his  topmast 
into  gulloaryhallyluyer  he  slid  down  the  bannis- 
sters  lots." 

Bob  wrote :  — 

"  DER  CUZZEN  MERIRE  a  french  cuzzen  is  the 
best  thing  to  have  i  think  you  and  unkle  torn  ar 
furs  clas  and  mi  bote  is  furs  claser  challys  bote 
is  named  merire  Pepper  and  mine  is  the  tomas 
antynet.  ROBERT  HUNTINGDON  CHEZZLE 

the  end." 


XVI. 

HOW    MUCH   FASTER   ME.    PENROY   GOT   WELL    THAN    THE 
DOCTORS   EXPECTED    HIM   TO. 

From  Mrs,  Chezzle' s  Journal. 

JULY  30.  On  the  morning  when  M.  Du- 
vergne  called  on  me,  I  went  to  Tom's 
room  later  than  usual. 

"  Ah,  another  one ! "  exclaimed  Tom,  as 
soon  as  he  looked  at  me. 

"  Another  what  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  She  asks  '  Another  what  ? ' :"  he  said ;  "  and 
she  knows  it  is  in  her  pocket !  "  I  could  not 
imagine  what  he  meant,  but  he  went  on  with 
his  nonsense.  "  It  is  of  no  use,  Mrs.  Chezzle, 
for  you  to  conceal  a  fact  so  palpable  and  in- 
nocent. I  have  learned  that  nothing  is  so 
becoming  to  you  as  a  casual  mention  of  your 
Chezzle  or  the  Middies !  I  have  frequently 
brought  them  into  our  conversation  for  the 


THE   CHEZZLES.  193 

express  purpose  of  putting  a  little  more  tone 
into  your  countenance  and  adding  a  certain 
poise  to  your  figure  which  it  requires  to  make 
it  entirely  satisfactory  !  " 

He  went  on  teasing  me  pleasantly  in  that 
fashion  for  awhile,  and  then  asked  :  "  Well,  if 
you  have  n't  any  letters,  what  has  happened  ? 
What,  or  who  has  given  you  that  agreeable 
expression?  " 

I  answered,  quietly  :  "  M.  Duvergne." 

"  What  ?  "  roared  Tom.  He  was  honestly 
surprised  that  time. 

"  I  have  had  an  hour's  talk  with  M.  Du- 
vergne this  morning;  he  called  to  see  me," 
I  said. 

"  Good  King  George  of  Oxford  !  "  exclaimed 
Tom  under  his  breath ;  and  after  a  moment  of 
silence  he  asked  :  "  What  on  earth  did  Dom- 
bey  and  Son  want  of  you  ?  " 

"  He  does  not  want  anything  whatever  of 
me,"  I  said ;  "  he  wants  to  see  you.  But  the 
doctors  have  reported  you  to  him  as  being  too 
ill  to  see  any  one  excepting  your  physicians  and 
attendants.  He  has  been  terribly  distressed, 
Tom,  to  hear  of  your  sufferings  and  reduced  con- 
dition, and  when  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  share 
the  discouraging  views  of  the  doctors,  he  seemed 
so  glad  that  it  was  delightful  to  see  him.  He 


194  THE   CHEZZLES. 

said  it  was  of  no  use  for  him  to  ask  the  doc- 
tors' permission  to  see  you,  or  to  send  you  any 
more  messages  by  them,  and  he  had  therefore 
called  upon  me.  He  said,  if  it  troubled  you, 
he  would  postpone  all  conversation  upon  busi- 
ness matters  until  you  were  better,  that  all  he 
desired  was  to  see  you  and  to  restore,  if  pos- 
sible, your  confidence  in  his  friendship  and  its 
sincerity."  Tom's  attention  was  riveted  upon 
every  word  I  had  to  say  about  my  conversation 
with  the  lawyer. 

"  Go  on,  my  child  !  "  he  said,  once.  "  Do 
not  omit  anything  which  it  is  possible  for  you 
to  recall  of  that  conversation.  You  are  let- 
ting daylight  into  my  recollection  of  several 
shadowy  circumstances  and  setting  me  to  guess- 
ing riddles  —  proceed  !  " 

So  I  told  him  everything  except  about  my 
little  outburst  concerning  his  will,  and  ended 
by  asking  him  to  let  me  write  to  M.  Duvergne 
and  appoint  a  time  for  him  to  call.  He  was 
silent  for  some  minutes,  and  then  said,  taking 
my  work  away  and  keeping  one  of  my  hands  : 
"  Why,  I  will  —  you  need  not  mention  it,  my 
dear,  but  I  will  write  to  Duvergne  myself." 

He  was  going  to  say  something  more,  but 
evidently  changed  his  mind.  He  knitted  his 
brows  and  was  very  grave  for  a  time,  forget- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  195 

ting  that  he  was  still  holding  and  stroking  my 
hand. 

Then  he  smiled  suddenly  in  a  pleasant  way 
and  said :  "  Call  Antoine,  my  dear ;  I  think  I 
will  get  up." 

July  31.  Both  Messieurs  Roubaix  and  Du- 
vergne  appeared  this  morning  and  were  closeted 
with  Tom  for  full  two  hours  in  his  cosy  little 
study.  The  two  doctors  also  appeared  and 
were  again  met  by  Maria  with  Tom's  absurd 
message  that  he  was  "too  ill  to  see  them." 
The  child  stood  on  the  stairs  with  her  arms 
stretched  across  from  wall  to  banisters,  looking 
down  upon  them. 

"  How  ?  "  said  Dr.  Frediqueue,  in  a  tone  of 
surprise,  putting  a  foot  on  the  bottom  step. 
"  If  he  is  so  ill,  mademoiselle,  it  is  necessary 
that  we  see  him  immediately !  " 

"  Non  Monsieur  !  "  said  Maria.  "  My  papa 
sees  only  Dr.  Antoine  to-day  !  My  aunt  is  in 
the  parlor  and  she  will  explain.  Papa  says  so. 
Chere  Tante !  "  she  called  down  to  me  and  re- 
treated, as  fast  as  she  could  go,  up-stairs. 

Added  to  my  confusion,  I  felt  a  little  in- 
dignation that  Tom  should  leave  me  to  invent 
an  excuse  for  his  absurd  message.  But  the 
gentlemen,  luckily,  took  up  another  point  of 
grievance. 


196  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  How  is  this  ?  What  does  this  mean,  Ma- 
dame Shezelle  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Frediqueue,  ner- 
vously. "Is  M.  Pennaroi  consulting  another 
physician  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Madame ! "  interrupted  Dr.  De  la 
Quille,  with  austerity  —  far  more  agreeable,  I 
assure  you,  than  his  usual  sweetness.  "  Is  M. 
Pennaroi  committing  such  a  serious  impro- 
priety ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  at  all !  not  at  all,  gentlemen  !  "  I 
exclaimed.  "  It  is  Mademoiselle  Maria's  pleas- 
antry alone  which  awards  the  title  of  '  Doctor  ' 
to  Antoine,  M.  Penroy's  attendant." 

"  Ah !  "  they  both  cried  at  once,  much  re- 
lieved ;  and  they  continued  in  mixed  murmurs 
of:  "It  is  amusing,  that!"  "Mile.  Maria's 
pleasantry  is  charming  !  "  "  Absolutely  charm- 
ing!" 

But  I  knew  they  wanted  to  shake  her.  I  ex- 
plained to  them  simply  that  my  brother  was 
inclined  to  rest  and  did  not  think  a  professional 
visit  necessary  ;  that  was  all. 

"  But  I  shall  invent  no  more  excuses  for 
your  ridiculous  messages,  Mr.  Tom ! "  I  said 
to  myself.  Moreover,  I  told  him  so,  late  in 
the  afternoon,  when  Maria  came  to  take  me  to 
his  study  where  she  expected  me  to  be  much 
surprised  to  see  him  sitting  up  in  a  big  arm- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  197 

chair.  I  could  be  as  surprised  as  she  wished, 
for  Tom  looked  handsomer  than  I  had  ever 
seen  him.  In  bed  he  had  looked  full  fifty 
years  old ;  now  he  looked  his  age,  forty-three. 

Maria  provided  us  with  an  unexpected  en- 
tertainment, however,  in  the  shape  of  a  letter 
which  M.  Duvergne  had  written,  from  her  dic- 
tation, to  the  boys.  She  brought  out  the  fact 
that  she  has  been  making  frequent  calls  upon 
him  in  his  little  office  opening  on  the  garden, 
and  I  learned  that  he  was  the  mysterious  gen- 
tleman I  had  heard  the  servants  mention  with 
so  much  awe.  But  Maria  regards  him  as  a 
most  intimate  friend,  whom  she  admires  im- 
mensely because  of  his  respect  for  her  doll, 
Marguerite  Helene  Penroy.  She  was  very 
proud  of  the  length  of  her  letter  which  M. 
Duvergne  had  advised  her  i  to  show  to  her  aunt 
who  might  wish  to  send  some  message  to  her 
little  boys.' 

August  1.  Oh,  Jack  !  Jack !  To  think  of 
niy  precious  Bob  !  Your  letter  is  diplomatic, 
presenting  to  me  first  a  picture  of  the  happy 
little  convalescent,  with  Molly,  the  captain,  and 
yourself  in  attendance.  And  your  account  of 
the  accident  is  decidedly  meagre.  You  should 
have  seen  Maria's  face  when  she  asked  if 
i  American  fish  often  tasted  little  boys ! ' 


198  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Tom  wants  to  know  what  we  will  take  for 
the  boys,  and  says  he  stands  ready  to  make  a 
considerable  offer  for  them.  He  tells  me  to 
congratulate  you  that  Captain  Pepper  was  on 
hand  with  his  slice  of  pork  for  Bob's  leg,  in- 
stead of  the  two  French  gentlemen  who  have 
been  in  attendance  upon  himself.  He  allowed 
them  to  come  up-stairs  yesterday,  I  am  con- 
vinced for  the  express  purpose  of  asking  them 
what  they  thought  of  fresh  pork  applied  to 
severe  wounds.  He  seems  to  have  lost  all 
confidence  in  them  now,  and  I  don't  know  why 
he  does  not  dismiss  them.  I  am  beginning  to 
pity  them  just  a  little,  he  teases  them  so  by 
asking  the  absurdest  questions  with  the  most 
perfect  gravity.  They  do  not  in  the  least 
know  what  to  make  of  him.  When  they  were 
announced  yesterday,  he  directed  Antoine  to 
put  a  cushion  under  his  feet,  a  blanket  over  his 
knees,  and  to  make  him  look  generally  like  an 
invalid.  Then  he  had  the  audacity  to  ask  me 
if  I  thought  he  looked  feeble  enough  to  gratify 
them !  I  protested  that  he  was  doing  wrong 
not  to  tell  them  honestly  that  he  was  getting 
well  fast  and  did  not  need  them.  But  he  said 
he  was  not  quite  ready  to  do  that. 

"  No,"  he  said ;  "  I  wish  to  be  very  feeble  on 
this  occasion,  and  I  shall  mention  with  anxiety 


THE   CHEZZLES.  199 

—  let  me  see  —  the  reverse  action  of  my  heart. 
I  wonder  how  they  '11  take  that,  Nelly  !  They 
have  been  a  good  deal  concerned  about  my 
heart ;  let  us  see  how  they  will  like  its  reverse 
action.  Call  them  up,  Antoine  !  " 

If  Antoine  understood  English,  or  if  Tom 
talked  in  this  manner  in  Maria's  presence,  I 
should  be  more  troubled. 

While  Mrs.  Chezzle  was  writing  the  his- 
tory of  the  day  in  her  journal,  Maria  was 
sobbing  violently  in  a  big  arm-chair  in  the 
library.  It  was  a  chilly  evening,  and  Antoine 
had  lighted  the  fire.  But  Maria  did  not  see 
its  cheerful  glow  or  hear  the  crackle  of  the 
burning  wood,  or  the  step  of  somebody  coming 
through  the  hall.  She  heard  nothing  but  her 
own  sobs  until  her  father  lifted  her  in  his  arms, 
and  sitting  down  with  her  in  the  arm-chair, 
tried  to  find  out  what  terrible  sorrow  was  afflict- 
ing her.  It  took  him  some  time  to  quiet  her 
sufficiently  to  enable  her  to  talk,  and  when 
Mr.  Penroy  discovered  that  the  cause  of  her 
grief  was  the  thought  of  her  aunt's  return  to 
America,  he  made  no  attempt  to  reconcile  her 
to  so  painful  a  prospect.  It  was  a  comfort  to 
the  child,  however,  to  see  her  father  also 
grieved  over  it.  To  be  miserable  together  was 


200  THE   CHEZZLES. 

something.  Mr.  Penroy  presently  turned  up 
the  lights  so  that  they  could  shine  upon  the 
beautiful  portrait  of  Maria's  mother,  and  re- 
turning to  his  former  position,  they  continued 
their  conversation  for  a  long  time.  But  the 
only  consolation  that  produced  any  effect  what- 
ever upon  Maria's  spirits  was  her  father's  sug- 
gestion that  perhaps,  some  day,  they  too  would 
go  to  America. 


XVII. 

POSITIVELY  THE  LAST  APPEARANCE 
CT  THIS  STORY  OF  THE  DOCTORS 
AND  THE  MADAGASCARITES. 

AUGUST  7.  Tom  begs  me 
to  report  to  you  an  amus- 
ing scene  which  we  had  this  morning.  He 
appointed  his  breakfast  hour  as  the  time  for 
both  doctors  to  make  a  visit  which  he  decided 
should  be  their  last.  He  grew  impatient,  how- 
ever, and  came  down  -  stairs  a  little  earlier  to 
join  Maria  and  me.  His  delight  in  sitting  once 
more  at  the  head  of  his  own  table  in  what  he 
called  "  a  respectable  manner,"  with  somebody 
to  pour  his  coffee,  lengthened  the  meal  consid- 
erably. Maria,  who  knew  the  situation  par- 
tially, was  in  a  hurry  for  the  doctors  to  ap- 
pear, and  could  scarcely  sit  still. 

"  Ah,  papa,  you  are  so  long  !  "  she  cried  at 
last.  "  The  bifftek  —  when  will  him  be  ate  ?  " 

"  Him  is  ate  now,"  said  her  father,  laughing. 
"  We  will  go  into  the  parlor." 

But  the  door-bell  was  ringing,  and  a  moment 


202  THE   CHEZZLES. 

or  two  afterwards,  to  our  amazement,  Maria, 
who  had  disappeared,  was  showing  the  two 
doctors  into  the  breakfast-room.  They  looked 
aghast  as  they  saw  Tom  !  But  they  looked 
more  so,  and  Tom's  face  grew  purple  with  sup- 
pressed laughter,  as  Maria  broke  out,  with  ab- 
solute innocence  and  in  high  glee  : 

"  See  !  see,  Messieurs  !  There  was  a  large 
bifftek  on  that  dish  and  iny  papa  has  eaten 
nearly  all  of  it !  And  he  has  eaten  a  great 
many  other  ones  too.  And  chickens !  and 
soups  !  and  he  is  all  well !  Are  you  not  glad  ? 
We  kept  it  for  a  great  surprise  for  you  !  A 
great  surprise  !  A  great  surprise  !  "  she  shouted, 
jumping  up  and  down  and  clapping  her  hands. 
She  took  possession  of  the  field,  and  in  her  ex- 
citement forgetting  her  dislike  of  the  doctors, 
rattled  off  a  volley  of  French  which  six  weeks 
ago  I  could  not  possibly  have  understood.  No- 
body could  get  a  word  in  sideways,  or  rather 
no  one  tried,  for  she  was  conducting  the  scene 
to  perfection.  Presently,  however,  when  she 
was  beginning,  "  And  oh,  Messieurs  !  Antoine 
is  not  a  servant  at  all,  he  is  a  wonderful  doctor, 
and  he  has  made  papa  all  well,  and  "  —  Tom 
thought  it  time  to  silence  her. 

"  Never  mind  that  part,  little  grasshopper,"  he 
said,  laughing,  leading  the  way  into  the  parlor. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  203 

There  we  held  the  drollest  conversation  I  ever 
heard.  The  doctors  covered  their  embarrass- 
ment with  a  mild  fit  of  coughing  on  Dr.  Fredi- 
queue's  part,  and  a  great  deal  of  silk  pocket- 
handkerchief  on  Dr.  De  la  Quille's.  But  they 
had  some  trouble  in  composing  an  explanation 
of  their  long  course  of  treatment.  They  finally 
declared  that  their  medicines  were  "  intended  to 
make  M.  Pennaroi  hungry  —  to  produce  an 
uncontrollable  a2^petite  f  "  They  professed  the 
most  unbounded  joy  at  his  recovery,  and  made  a 
great  to-do  announcing  that  he  would  no  longer 
require  their  professional  services.  Tom  gave 
utterance  to  a  surprised  "  oh ! "  at  that,  but 
when  Dr.  Frediqueue  proclaimed  that  they 
were  '  proud  and  justly  gratified  at  their  com- 
plete success  in  curing  him,'  he  could  not  re- 
press an  exclamation  of  "  Thunder  and  Mars  !  " 
As  they  did  not  understand  him,  however,  it 
made  no  difference. 

In  the  midst  of  the  interview  a  card  had 
been  handed  to  him  by  Antoine,  and,  look- 
ing at  it  now  a  second  time,  he  turned  the 
conversation  into  a  new  channel  by  asking 
the  gentlemen  if  they  objected  to  following 
him  to  the  library  in  order  to  witness  a  certain 
deed  of  gift  which,  he  said,  would  be  quite 
complete  with  the  addition  only  of  their  two 
signatures  upon  it. 


204  THE   CHEZZLES. 

Of  course  he  meant  the  deed  of  gift  for  the 
Madagascar  missionaries,  and  you  can  imagine 
the  joy  which  flashed  into  the  faces  of  the 
doctors  at  his  speech.  They  could  not  repress 
murmurs  of  pleasure ;  they  fairly  purred  with 
satisfaction  all  the  way  up-stairs.  I  confess  I 
do  not  understand  why  Tom  is  convinced  that 
the  doctors  are  humbugs  and  yet  seems  to 
cling  to  his  faith  in  the  missionaries.  They 
have  all  four  been  equally  earnest  about  his 
gift.  Why  should  he  be  so  much  impressed 
by  M.  Duvergne's  discovery  that  the  doctors 
have  no  standing  whatever  in  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  reject  his  discovery  that  the  mis- 
sionaries are  impostors  ?  If  he  cares  so  much 
for  the  Madagascarites,  why  were  they  not  here 
this  morning  to  witness  his  deed  for  him  and 
receive  his  munificent  gift  ? 

But  it  is  all  none  of  my  affair,  and  I  will 
not  ask  Tom  a  question  which  might  suggest 
that  I  am  anxious  or  even  interested  in  the  dis- 
position of  his  money.  I  would  rather  have 
him  throw  it  away  than  think  that ! 

The  doctors  were  much  annoyed  and  embar- 
rassed to  find  M.  Duvergne  waiting  for  us  in  the 
library.  I  thought  he  scrutinized  me  a  little  and 
that  he  was  thinking  of  the  part  of  our  first 
conversation  which  I  had  never  reported  to 


THE   CHEZZLES.  205 

Toin.  At  any  rate  /  was  thinking  of  it  when 
I  sat  down  at  the  desk  to  put  my  name  on  the 
blank  space  which  Tom  was  indicating  for  me. 
Tom  asked  if  I  objected  to  signing  legal 
documents.  I  thought  the  doctors  looked  as 
if  they  hoped  I  did,  so  I  dashed  off  my  name 
with  a  particularly  indifferent  flourish  and  said 
I  was  ready  to  sign  as  many  as  the  firm  of 
Roubaix  and  Duvergne  cared  to  produce.  I 
do  not  understand  business  forms,  Jack,  and 
am  glad  that  I  am  not  obliged  to.  I  had  sup- 
posed that  the  two  doctors  and  I  were  all  to 
put  our  names  upon  the  same  paper  as  wit- 
nesses to  whatever  it  contained.  But  the  paper 
they  signed  was  printed,  while  the  one  I  signed 
was  written  —  I  recognized  Tom's  hand.  Are 
deeds  of  gift  written,  Jack,  or  must  they  be 
printed  ?  Never  mind,  though,  I  don't  care  for 
the  answer.  I  have  not  the  least  idea  what  was 
on  the  paper  which  I  signed,  and  I  should 
think  the  doctors'  knowledge  of  what  they 
were  about  must  have  been  misty.  Perhaps-  it 
is  not  necessary  for  witnesses  to  know  what 
they  witness  —  is  it?  The  poor  doctors  had 
rather  a  hard  time,  for  they  were  painfully  ill 
at  ease  with  M.  Duvergne.  It  was  impossible 
for  them  to  meet  his  steady,  sharp  gaze,  and  al- 
though they  looked  at  the  deed  and  appeared 


206  THE   CHEZZLES. 

to  read  some  of  it,  I  am  sure  they  were  think- 
ing every  minute  of  the  lawyer.  They  were 
simply  anxious  to  get  out  of  his  presence  as 
soon  as  possible  —  I  am  sure  of  that.  They 
sisrned  their  names  in  the  most  nervous  haste, 

O  * 

mumbled  over  a  few  phrases  of  which  I  caught 
only  a  word  here  and  there,  and  bowed  them- 
selves out  in  a  very  short  time. 

Tom  put  the  deed  and  my  paper  into  his 
desk,  and  that  is  the  last  I  have  seen  of  either. 

I  wonder  why  M.  Duvergne  was  so  compla- 
cent through  it  all !  He  had  protested  so 
strongly  against  Tom's  throwing  away  his 
money  in  the  "  Mad  Mission  "  as  he  called  it  — 
had  begged  me  to  influence  him  at  first,  you 
know ;  yet  he  not  only  saw  the  deed  completed 
without  a  word  of  opposition,  but  with  what 
looked  very  like  supreme  satisfaction  !  Perhaps 
Tom  has  persuaded  him  that  the  mission  is  not 
such  a  fraudulent  one,  after  all.  He  may  have 
completely  changed  his  mind.  But  I  should 
think  he  would  tell  me,  if  that  is  the  case,  since 
he  has  said  so  much  to  me  about  their  being  im- 
postors. He  has  been  here  every  day  and  at 
all  hours  for  the  past  week,  but  neither  he  nor 
Tom  broach  the  subject  of  the  missionaries  in 
my  presence.  But  I  do  not  call  this  minding 
my  own  business  with  absolute  consistency  — 
do  you  ? 


THE   CHEZZLES.  207 

M.  Duvergne  took  Tom  out  to  drive,  and  I 
went  down-stairs,  where  I  had  the  double  pleas- 
ure of  ordering  lunch  and  dinner  for  all  of  us 
together,  and  of  explaining  to  the  cook  the  mys- 
tery of  "  M.  le  Due  D'Antoine's "  enormous 
appetite. 

Of  course,  John,  it  is  quite  true  that  Tom 
has  been  ill.  He  was  undoubtedly  very  feeble 
when  I  first  came,  and  much  reduced ;  but  M. 
Duvergne  thinks  he  must  have  got  over  the 
worst  then.  We  all  think  that  nature  had 
a  hard  fight  against  those  wretched  doctors. 
Tom  and  M.  Duvergne  think  she  would  not 
have  won  the  victory  so  easily  if  it  had  not 
been  for  —  me,  my  dear  !  Antoine  declares 
that  it  is  I  alone  who  have  saved  his  master's 
life.  I  can't  quite  think  that,  but  I  am  just 
a  little  —  conceited,  do  you  think  ?  Well, 
perhaps. 

No,  I  'm  not  —  I  am  very  much  so  !  — 
"  Whew  !  "  I  can  hear  you  exclaim,  while  you 
measure  me  under  your  chin  after  your  favor- 
ite method,  and  make  your  pet  speech  about 
me :  "  You  are  little,  Nelly,  but  you  are 
great !  "  Ah !  I  'd  like  to  be  under  your  chin, 
Jack,  this  very  minute  !  My  attack  of  conceit 
came  on  a  little  before  one  o'clock  to-day,  when 
Tom  returned  from  his  drive  and  said,  the  mo- 


208  THE   CHEZZLES. 

nient  I  appeared  in  the  hall  to  help  him  with 
his  wraps,  "  Nelly,  you  are  a  brick  !  " 

"  Thank  you  !  "  I  answered.  "  Don't  go  up- 
stairs, Tom,  we  shall  have  luncheon  in  a  few 
minutes ;  your  mail  and  newspaper  are  in  the 
breakfast-room." 

His  answer  was  to  put  one  hand  on  my  head 
and  to  take  hold  of  my  chin  with  the  other, 
turning  my  face  up  to  have  a  deliberate  look 
at  it.  "  A  brick  !  "  he  whispered  pleasantly, 
smiling  full  upon  me  and  bending  down  to  kiss 
me. 

I  smiled  back  and  said :  "  I  am  glad  to  hear 
it;  I  like  my  big  brother  to  think  I  am  a 
brick." 

"  You  do  !  "  he  said,  walking  with  me  into 
the  breakfast-room.  "Well,  he  has  thought 
so  for  some  time,  my  dear.  That  Jack  of  yours 
is  a  lucky  dog." 

Maria's  unmistakable  ring  at  the  front  door 
vibrated  through  the  house,  but  it  did  not  in- 
terrupt Tom,  I  am  sure ;  he  would  not  have 
said  another  word.  Maria  came  in  like  a  fresh 
breeze,  rosy  and  happy,  with  her  hoop  in  her 
hand  and  so  much  to  tell  that  she  kept  break- 
ing out  all  through  luncheon  into  little  bursts 
of  joyful  talk,  and  that,  with  Tom's  quiet 
humor,  kept  my  wits  busy. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  209 

"  So,  Maria,  you  too  think  your  aunt  is  a 
brick  ?  "  said  Tom. 

"  A  prick  ?  How  can  chere  Tante  be  such 
a  think  ?  "  asked  Maria.  "  A  prick  wot  is  to 
puild  a  house  kent  be  like  to  ma  tante !  " 

"  In  America,  my  child,"  —  Tom  always  be- 
gins with  America  when  he  wants  to  impress 
anything  favorably  upon  Maria's  mind,  —  "  in 
America,  my  child,"  he  said  gravely,  "  the  term 
1  brick  '  is  applied  to  persons  who  have  an  un- 
usual number  of  the  cardinal  virtues."  To  my 
relief,  he  added  :  "  But  it  is  an  expression  used 
only  by  gentlemen,  Maria,  and  I  would  prefer 
not  to  have  you  adopt  it." 

August  9.  I  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  in 
my  own  sunny,  beautiful  sitting-room.  I  feel 
like  a  duchess  in  it,  with  its  fine  hangings, 
luxurious  lounge,  and  easy-chairs.  And  the  pic- 
tures in  it  are  inspiring.  There  is  a  "  Corot  " 
over  the  fireplace,  and  a  "  Diaz  "  by  the  win- 
dow, two  of  Gerard  Dow's,  —  those  engravings 
of  "The  Winder"  and  "The  Reader,"  you 
know,  and  some  etchings  which  I  delight  in. 
If  I  express  a  particular  pleasure  in  any  picture 
in  the  house,  in  Tom's  hearing,  I  find  it  in  my 
room  the  next  day.  So  I  am  careful.  This 
writing-desk  I  enjoy  next  to  the  pictures.  It  is 
of  mahogany,  beautifully  carved,  just  the  right 
height  for  me,  and  not  too  small. 


210  THE  CHEZZLES. 

The  one  thing  out  of  harmony  with  the 
house's  grandeur  is  the  little  woman  just  men- 
tioned, whose  figure  I  meet  occasionally  at  one 
of  the  mirrors,  which  fortunately  are  few.  She 
looks  as  if  she  had  lost  her  way  in  somebody's 
palace.  But  she  is  honored  like  a  queen  in  it, 
and  if  her  big  brother  does  not  like  her  gowns, 
he  has  the  good  taste  not  to  let  her  know  it, 
and  his  little  Maria  thinks  she  is  perfection 
just  — 

Evening.  I  was  interrupted  by  Tom's  rap, 
and  he  came  in  saying  :  "  Nelly,  bring  out  the 
picture  of  that  everlasting  Chezzle  of  yours ;  I 
want  to  see  it  again."  And  down  he  sat  in 
the  big  chair  by  the  window  to  study  your  phy- 
siognomy. I  am  quite  used  to  Tom's  abrupt 
ways,  which  might  be  called  impulses  except 
that  they  generally  follow  a  good  deal  of  think- 
ing. His  way  is  to  "  turn  a  thing  over  in  his 
mind,"  as  mother  used  to  say,  study  it  well, 
mention  it,  and  do  it  immediately.  So,  when 
he  asked  for  your  picture  in  that  way,  I  said  to 
myself :  "  Now  what  has  John  got  to  do  with 
it  ? "  But  I  said  nothing  aloud.  It  was  a 
damp,  misty,  drizzling  day,  so  I  lighted  the  fire. 
I  leave  the  weather  to  take  care  of  itself  gen- 
erally, and  do  not  often  notice  its  changes  un- 
less Tom  comes  along.  After  a  few  minutes 


THE  CHEZZLES.  211 

he  leaned  forward,  his  elbows  on  the  arms  of 
his  chair,  and,  tapping  his  finger-tips  with  your 
photograph,  said  :  "  Is  Chezzle  a  good  business 
man,  Nelly?" 

"  Of  course,"  I  answered. 

"  What  do  you  call  a  good  business  man, 
madam  ? "  he  asked.  He  likes  to  call  me 
"  madam." 

"  If  a  man  could  not  get  any  work  to  do  ex- 
cept to  sweep  the  streets  for  a  living,  I  should 
call  him  a  good  business  man  if  he  was  proud 
to  do  that  and  did  it  as  well  as  it  could  be 
done,"  I  answered. 

"  Good !  "  said  Tom.  "  Chezzle  is  that  sort  ? 
Then  he  can  get  something  better." 

"  He  supports  his  family,  sends  his  children 
to  a  good  school,  and  would  lie  awake  at  night 
if  he  owed  anybody  twenty-five  cents  which  he 
could  not  pay,"  I  remarked. 

"  Then  he  is  a  capital  business  man.  Is  he 
obliging?  "  said  Tom. 

"  You  said  he  was,  when  he  spared  me  to 
come  here,"  was  all  I  said. 

"  And  the  same  thing  proves  him  to  be  un- 
selfish—  the  more  so,  that  he  thought  I  was 
a  poor  man.  One  more  question,  Nelly,"  he 
said,  changing  his  seat  to  an  arm-chair  beside 
me.  "  If  he  was  not  perfect,  would  you  let  me 
or  anybody  else  find  it  out  ?  " 


212  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  No  !  "  I  said,  very  loud  for  me. 

"  I  thought  so,"  he  said,  flipping  the  photo- 
graph lightly  down  my  face  with  his  fascinating 
impudence.  Then,  tossing  it  upon  a  table,  he 
stretched  back,  with  hands  clasped  behind  his 
head,  and  said :  "  Did  you  ever  hear,  Nelly,  of 
two  men  who  made,  each,  an  enormous  fortune 
—  one,  by  minding  his  own  business,  and  the 
other  by  letting  that  of  his  neighbors  alone  ? 
No  ?  That  is  strange  —  you  and  your  Jack 
remind  me  so  of  both  of  them.  You  '11  be 
wealthy  people  some  day,  if  your  husband  is 
like  you  in  this  particular,  my  dear." 

It  was  such  an  idle  thought  of  his  !  My 
mind  went  so  completely  over  to  you  in  your 
little  "  three-pair-back,"  working  over  your  ac- 
counts and  trying  to  make  the  smallest  kind 
of  a  balance  in  your  own  favor,  that,  before  I 
knew  it,  Tom  was  behind  my  chair,  scratching 
my  forehead  with  his  rough  chin  and  saying, 
with  rare  tenderness  :  "  Why,  Nelly  !  Nelly ! 
How  quickly  your  eyes  can  travel  across  the 
Atlantic  !  Bring  them  back  and  don't  let  them 
wander  again,  little  sister,  for  we  are  going  to 
talk  business.  For  once,  your  want  of  curi- 
osity is  provoking;  why  don't  you  ask  what 
has  started  me  to  inquire  so  much  about  your 
husband  all  at  once  ?  " 


THE   CHEZZLES.  213 

I  laughed  and  said,  no  doubt  he  would  tell 
me,  if  he  wanted  me  to  know.  His  answer 
took  my  breath  away.  You  know  more  than  I 
do,  probably,  about  it  all,  by  this  time,  Jack. 
"  My  child,"  he  said,  "  you  have  become  neces- 
sary to  my  little  Maria  and  me.  It  would  be 
unreasonable  to  expect  us  to  do  without  you. 
The  advantage  to  Maria  of  remaining  in  your 
vicinity,  the  companionship  of  the  middies  and 
an  '  Oncle  Chon,'  as  she  calls  him  —  every- 
thing demands  that  we  shall  all  go  to  America 
together !  " 

I  was  speechless  with  the  glad  bewilderment 
of  it  all.  But  Tom  went  on ;  he  said  he 
thought  I  "  had  better  take  the  whole  dose  at 
once  and  have  it  over  with  !  "  "I  have  written 
to  your  husband,  Nelly,  asking  him  to  take  a 
cottage  for  me  in  Nipsit,  where  we  will  go 
direct,  and  stay  a  month  while  we  are  choosing 
a  suitable  place  on  which  to  build  a  summer 
home.  And  all  the  rest  will  follow,  my  dear  ! 
There ! "  he  exclaimed  when  he  had  finished, 
making  me  stand  up  and  taking  me  by  the 
shoulders  to  face  the  mirror  ;  "  you  will  oblige 
me  very  considerably  if  you  will  take  that 
face  home  to  your  '  Jack  '  and  the  middies  !  " 


xvm. 

CLOSE   OF   MRS.    OHEZZLE's   JOURNAL. 

AUGUST  13.  Maria  sings  all  over  the  house. 
The  confusion  made  by  the  dismantling, 
packing,  boxing,  and  sending  off  of  the  goods 
and  chattels  just  suits  her.  But  the  things 
she  produces  to  be  packed  suit  me  by  no 
means.  Her  one  idea  of  preparing  to  go  to 
America  is  to  collect  things  to  take  to  her 
cousins.  Her  talk  is  all  "  my  cousins,"  and, 
if  she  could  have  her  way,  she  would  empty 
the  toy-shops  for  them.  But  I  have  finally 
persuaded  Tom  to  set  a  limit  to  her  purchases 
and  to  draw  the  line  at  a  pair  of  wooden  ele- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  215 

phants  almost  big  enough  for  the  boys  to  ride. 
Maria  cried  so  at  being  refused  permission  to 
order  them  sent  that  Tom  came  to  me  last 
night,  after  she  had  gone  to  sleep,  quite  dis- 
tressed about  it.  "  But  I  won't  go  back  on 
you,  Nelly,"  he  said ;  "  and  what  I  say  I  '11  stick 
to." 

So,  as  Maria  understands  that  her  father's 
decisions,  once  made,  are  final,  she  had  her  cry, 
and  there  the  matter  ended.  She  is  sunnier 
and  happier  than  ever  to-day.  Tom  leaves 
more  decisions  to  me  than  I  quite  care  for. 
As,  for  instance,  the  question  of  servants.  An- 
toine  is  to  go  with  us,  and  Madeleine,  the  cook. 
For  the  others,  I  have  persuaded  him  that  Bos- 
ton has  resources.  Certainly  nobody  can  pre- 
pare the  Nipsit  cottage  for  us  better  than 
Molly  and  Katy  Dolan.  This  house  is  to  be 
vacated  in  a  few  days,  and  we  are  to  spend  the 
interval  until  the  22d  at  some  hotel  in  Paris. 

I  hope  I  have  not  written  so  much  about 
Tom  that  you  '11  hate  him  !  Or  talked  so  much 
about  you  to  him  that  he  '11  never  become  ac- 
quainted with  you  !  I  have  tried  not  to  fling 
your  virtues  at  each  other,  and  I  don't  think  I 
can  have  done  much  harm.  I  don't  see  how 
any  reasonable  being  could  be  disappointed  in 
Challey  and  Bob,  under  any  circumstances.  I 


216  THE   CHEZZLES. 

am  not  at  all  worried  about  Maria.  She  is  so 
delighted  at  the  mere  possession  of  us  all,  that 
her  castles  will  not  easily  tumble.  Her  talk 
about  "  Shallee  an'  Fob  "  is  incessant,  and  Tom 
likes  to  show  her  your  picture,  and  ask  if  she 
knows  whose  it  is,  for  the  fun  of  hearing  her 
say,  "Mon  Oncle  Tchonne  Tche-zelle,'"  as  if 
she  were  going  to  sneeze.  I  wonder  what  she 
will  do  when  she  finds  herself,  this  dainty  little 
Parisienne,  face  to  face  with  the  rough-and-tum- 
bleness  of  our  two  happy-hearted  boys.  But 
her  admiration  for  them  is  born  of  a  hunger  for 
companionship,  and  I  am  not  troubled. 

HOTEL,  PARIS,  August  17,  Evening. 

And  I  shall  see  you  and  my  boys  in  about 
two  weeks  !  It  seems  too  good  to  be  true. 
Maria  is  irrepressible  in  her  joy.  Everything 
in  the  way  of  preparation  seems  complete,  and 
Tom's  house  is  in  the  hands  of  agents,  for  sale. 
We  spend  all  our  time  now  in  sight-seeing. 
Tom  teases  me  delightfully.  He  declares  that 
I  will  not  remember  a  single  picture  in  the 
Louvre,  that  my  rapt  expression  is  simply  be- 
cause •  my  mind  is  wandering,  and  that  he  is 
sure  I  see  nothing  on  the  canvases  but  the 
faces  of  Challey  and  Bob  and  "  that  tiresome 
Jack !  " 


THE   CHEZZLES.  217 

I  have  just  had  the  most  entertaining  conver- 
sation with  him  upon  a  new  subject  —  clothes. 
After  Maria  had  gone  to  bed,  we  were  sitting 
in  our  parlor,  pretty  tired  of  course,  reading. 
Tom  suddenly  threw  down  his  newspaper  and 
exclaimed  :  "  See  here,  Nelly,  you  are  a 
woman ! " 

"  Yes,  Tom,"  I  said. 

"  Well  then,"  he  continued,  "  I  suppose  you 
want  to  spend  some  time  in  the  shops  —  dress- 
makers, milHners,  girncracks,  and  that  sort  of 
thing." 

"  No  I  don't,  Tom,"  I  answered. 

"  Give  me  your  purse,  madam,  and  tell  me 
no  lies  !  "  he  said,  sternly,  reaching  his  hand 
across  the  table. 

"  I  don't  tell  lies,  and  I  won't  give  you  my 
purse,"  I  said,  quietly.  "  With  only  a  week 
before  me  for  the  Louvre,  I  would  not  use  up 
my  precious  hours  in  shops  for  the  trousseau 
of  a  duchess  —  unless,"  I  added,  "  you  are 
ashamed  of  my  appearance,  Tom." 

"  Thank  heaven  !  "  he  exclaimed,  taking  up 
the  paper  again.  "I  am  sorry,  though,  that 
you  are  not  more  obedient  when  I  ask  for  your 
purse,"  he  said,  scowling  at  me.  "  I  shall  re- 
port you  to  Jack  !  "  Then  he  went  off  into  a 
brown  study,  looking  at  me  with  what  he  meant 


218  THE  CHEZZLES. 

» 

for  a  severe  expression,  and  repeating  several 
times  :  "  To  Jack,  madam  !  To  Jack  !  "  But 
there  was  a  look  of  intense  amusement  all  about 
his  eyes  and  mouth. 

August  19.  Three  days  more  !  The  last 
of  my  journal  will  be  mailed  to-morrow,  and 
when  you  read  it  you  will  be  watching  the 
papers  for  news  of  our  steamer.  It  has  been 
a  queer  sort  of  journal  to  read,  has  n't  it  ?  It 
might  have  been  written  from  anywhere,  and 
is  all  about  people.  Well,  after  all,  are  not 
people  the  best  part  of  the  world  ?  Is  even 
the  Louvre  as  interesting  as  a  newly  found 
brother  and  little  niece?  And  how  could  I 
work  myself  up  into  a  state  of  excitement  over 
Paris  and  its  suburbs  while  I  was  living  in  such 
a  story  as  the  history  of  these  two  months 
past?  Perhaps,  when  I  am  in  my  own  dear 
home  again,  when  we  will  have  grown  used  to 
having  Tom  and  Maria  near  us,  you  and  I  will 
croon  of  an  evening  by  the  sitting-room  fire, 
and  my  mind  will  travel  back  here  again  for 
your  entertainment.  But,  from  your  account 
of  the  Macksbys,  it  will  take  some  time  for 
either  of  our  minds  to  get  away  from  our  im- 
mediate surroundings.  Poor  Jack  !  I  did  not 
dare  to  teh!  you  before  I  came  away  that 
Mrs.  Macksby's  back  hair  was  tied  with  an  old 


THE   CHEZZLES.  219 

shoe-string !  I  knew  then  what  was  before  you, 
and  thought  it  would  be  merciful  to  let  it  come 
gradually. 

Only  —  prepare  for  an  awful,  monstrous 
scolding,  Jack  !  How  could  you,  in  your  last 
letter,  draw  such  a  melancholy  picture  of  the 
contrast  between  "  the  elegance  of  Tom's  grand 
house  at  Meaux,  and  the  disheartening  aspect 
of  things  at  home "  ?  You  will  have  that 
question  to  answer  face  to  face,  sir  !  Home 
disheartening  !  And  what  is  ah1  Tom's  luxury 
compared  with  my  pride  in  what  is  my  own  ? 
Just  wait  until  Molly  with  her  scrubbing- 
brushes,  and  I  with  my  wits,  get  to  work  ! 
And  don't  I  know,  too,  that  you  '11  take  a 
turn  yourself  with  hammer  and  nails  and  fur- 
niture polish  ?  And  then  won't  I  flourish  the 
feather  duster  over  your  head  ! 


XIX. 

MR.  CHEZZLE  IS  MORE  DAZED  BY  A  SHORT  LETTER  FROM 
MR.  PENROY  THAN  HE  EVER  WAS  BEFORE.  THE  WORK 
THE  LETTER  GAVE  HIM  TO  DO. 

I  THINK  I  drew  it  mildly  when  I  wrote  to 
Nelly,"  Mr.  Chezzle  thought  to  himself  as 
he  was  walking  down  town  one  morning. 
"  Poor  little  wife  !  I  don't  want  her  to  discover 
it  all  at  once  —  the  shock  would  be  awful.  To 
come  home  from  such  a  life  and  encounter 
Mrs.  Macksby  at  the  front  door !  And,  as  for 
Macksby,  a  back  view  of  him  is  enough  for  me  ! 
If  ever  there  was  a  person  with  '  incapable ' 
stamped  all  over  him,  Macksby 's  the  man." 
Mr.  Chezzle  said  "  Whew  !  "  aloud,  and  took 
off  his  hat  to  wipe  his  forehead.  Then  he 
went  on  with  his  thinking  in  this  fashion  :  "  I 


THE  CHEZZLES.  221 

wonder  what  Nelly  will  do  !  The  condition  of 
the  carpets  alone  is  enough  to  take  away  the 
courage  of  a  woman.  Any  woman  but  Nelly. 
Bright  little  Nell !  She  '11  mend  the  rags,  and 
think  up  a  rug  or  two  to  cover  the  stains  that 
won't  come  out ;  she  says  I  tell  her  to  '  think 
up '  things  that  we  need  as  if  she  had  Alad- 
din's lamp."  Nobody,  seeing  Mr.  Chezzle's 
pleased  expression,  would  have  suspected  that 
he  was  thinking  of  anything  dreary,  certainly. 
But  the  smiles  were  where  "  Nelly "  came  in. 
His  face  was  cloudy  again  in  a  minute  as  he 
entered  the  banking-house. 

"  What 's  up,  Chezzle  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Ruggett, 
one  of  the  clerks,  and  a  confidential  friend  of 
Mr.  Chezzle's.  "  Has  anything  happened  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  wish  it  would !  "  said  Mr.  Chezzle, 
hanging  his  hat  up. 

"  That  sounds  as  if  the  situation  was  rather 
a  bad  one,"  said  his  friend. 

"  Ruggett,"  said  Mr.  Chezzle,  a  little  desper- 
ately, "  the  situation  is  simply  this :  my  wife's 
brother  is  getting  well  so  fast  that  she  may 
come  home  any  time  now,  and  —  before  that 
innocent  woman  sets  eyes  on  the  interior  of 
that  house  in  Roxbury,  I  'd  like  —  I  believe 
I  'd  like  to  put  a  barrel  of  dynamite  in  the  cel- 
lar and  blow  it  up  !  And  I  don't  know  as  I  'd 


222  THE   CHEZZLES. 

be  over  -  particular  about  the  Macksby  family 
getting  out  of  the  way  —  altogether  !  " 

Mr.  Ruggett  laughed.  "  I  ask  your  pardon, 
old  fellow,"  he  said  ;  "  but  how  can  you  expect 
ine  to  help  it  ?  When  things  get  so  bad  as 
that,  what  can  you  do  ?  You  can't  help  your- 
self, and  you  might  as  well  give  up  and  enjoy 
it." 

"  The  giving  up  is  easy  enough  !  "  said  Mr. 
Chezzle.  "  I  did  that  last  night,  when  I  trod 
on  some  bread  and  butter  on  the  hall-floor.  It 
is  n't  so  easy  to  enjoy  it.  I  've  been  trying 
all  summer  to  patch  up  and  coax  things  along  ; 
kept  hammer  and  tacks  handy,  so  that  I  could 
nail  down  the  stair-carpet  any  time,  and  carried 
a  screwdriver  in  my  pocket.  But  —  Ruggett, 
when  I  trod  on  that  bread  and  butter,  I  kicked 
the  plate  down  the  kitchen  stairs,  and  felt  like 
getting  the  hatchet  and  chopping  down  the 
banisters  !  " 

"Well,  there  is  some  comfort  in  seeing  a 
thing  done  thoroughly !  "  said  Mr.  Ruggett. 
"Can't  you  do  something?  Can't  you  force 
your  tenants  to  pay  for  damages  ?  Are  they 
ugly?" 

"  Ugly  ?  "  asked  poor  Mr.  Chezzle.  "  They 
have  n't  character  enough  !  And  pay  for  dam- 
ages ?  They  have  n't  got  the  money.  Ten  to 


THE   CHEZZLES.  223 

one  if  I  get  the  rent.  I  did  venture  to  protest 
once  or  twice,  but  —  you  wouldn't  ask  such 
idiotic  questions,  Ruggett,  if  you  had  ever  seen 
Mr.  Macksby's  back  !  " 

"  Talk  of  something  else,  then,"  said  Mr. 
Ruggett.  "  Here  's  the  postman." 

Most  of  the  letters  were  for  the  officers  of  the 
House ;  there  was  only  one  for  Mr.  Chezzle. 

Mr.  Ruggett  had  never  seen  so  extraordinary 
a  change  come  over  the  spirit  of  his  friend  as 
took  place  within  the  next  five  minutes. 

Mr.  Chezzle,  after  reading  his  letter,  which 
was  very  short,  over  several  times,  let  his  arm 
drop  at  his  side  and  said,  "  George  !  " 

"  It  looks  as  if  the  scene  had  shifted,"  said 
his  friend. 

"  Well,  it  has  —  rather  !  "  said  Mr.  Chezzle, 
brightly.  "  Listen  to  this,  Ned  :  instead  of 
Nelly's  coming  home  to  the  Macksby  mansion, 
she  's  to  come  to  the  best  furnished  cottage  I 
can  hire  in  Nipsit,  and  is  to  bring  the  whole 
caboodle  along-  with  her  !  Her  brother  and  his 

O 

little  daughter  and  two  French  servants  !  I  'm 
to  look  out  for  a  shipload  or  two  of  boxes  which 
are  on  the  water  now,  and  the  letter  tops  off 
with  a  check  for  a  thundering  amount  '  to  pay 
expenses  and  in  case  of  duties  at  the  Custom 
House,'  etc." 


224:  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  And,  for  the  present  at  least,"  said  Mr. 
Ruggett,  cheerfully,  "  the  Macksby  family  may 
go  to  grass  ?  " 

"  Exactly !  "  said   Mr.    Chezzle.      "  And  - 
would  you  mind  just  locating  my  head  for  me, 
Ruggett  ?  " 

With  such  agreeable  responsibilities  to  over- 
shadow his  cares  it  was  easy  for  a  methodical 
man  like  Mr.  Chezzle  to  attend  to  his  business 
through  the  day.  When  the  closing  hour  came, 
he  made  arrangements  for  an  absence  of  a  few 
days,  and  returned  to  Roxbury  in  a  very  differ- 
ent frame  of  mind  than  he  had  been  in  when 
he  left  it  in  the  morning. 

Molly  and  Katy  Dolan  agreed  to  be  prepared 
to  go  to  Nipsit  whenever  he  should  summon 
them,  and  were  much  set  up  at  the  idea  of  work- 
ing for  awhile  in  company  with  Mr.  Penroy's 
French  servants. 

"  Although,"  said  Molly,  "  I  'd  be  partickler 
to  have  Misther  Pinrye  understand  himsilf  that 
it  's  to  yous  an'  Mrs.  Chizzle  an'  the  byes  that 
me  sarvice  is  engaged  parmy-nintly,  do  ye  take 
it  in  Mr.  Chizzle-sir  what  it  is  I  'm  a-sayin'  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  Molly  ;  we  could  not  get  along 
without  you,"  Mr.  Chezzle  assured  her. 

"  Thin  it 's  a  bargin  !  "  said  Molly,  cheer- 
fully, adding,  with  a  twinkle  in  her  eyes,  "  an' 


THE   CHEZZLES.  225 

a  foine  opporchunity  it  '11  be  far  me  to  improve 
mesilf  in  the  Frinch  language  !  " 

If  it  had  not  been  for  those  boats,  the 
"  Maria  Pepper "  and  the  "  Thomas  Antoi- 
nette," it  might  not  have  created  any  extraor- 
dinary excitement  to  have  the  Hubble  cottage 
hired  by  Mr.  Chezzle  for  Mr.  Penroy.  But 
the  boats  had  made  the  names  of  "  Uncle 
Tom  "  and  "  Cousin  Maria  "  famous  to  every 
child  in  Nipsit.  The  Chezzle  boys  had  risen 
to  great  importance  in  the  youthful  community, 
and  the  arrival  of  a  gentleman  who  had  sent 
such  magnificent  gifts  to  them  was  regarded  as 
a  most  momentous  event.  His  very  name  was 
reported  to  be  "  Pennyroyal "  and  seemed  to 
have  a  comforting  sound. 

On  the  morning  when  the  travelers  were  to 
arrive  in  Nipsit,  Molly  and  Katy  Dolan  were 
busy  getting  dinner  ready  for  them.  Now  even 
a  Thanksgiving  dinner  for  the  Chezzle  family 
was  an  undertaking  which  Molly  felt  equal  to, 
but  here  was  a  meal  to  prepare  for  "  a  double 
family,  Katy  Dolan,  and  half  o'  thim  Frinch  !  " 

"  How  do  ye  make  that  out,  Mary  Ann  ?  " 
asked  Katy.  "  Is  n't  Mr.  Pinrye  Mrs.  Chizzle's 
natural-born-brother,  an'  the  childern  all  blood- 
related  no  more  an'  no  less?  " 


THE  CHEZZLES. 

"  Sure  an'  don't  I  know  that  ?  "  said  Molly, 
turning  the  cake  in  the  oven.  "  But  there  's 
more  behind  it  all,  Katy." 

"  If  ye  mane  the  Frinch  cook  an'  waiter-bye, 
now,  it 's  more  than  they  '11  find  thimsilves 
aqual  to,  if  they  think  they  can  put  me  about, 
an'  I  tell  ye  that,  free  of  charge,  Mary  Ann 
Dolan!"  ' 

"  Och  now  Cathern  McFarly,  don't  be  shart- 
sighted  !  "  said  Molly.  "  It 's  not  the  hilp,  it 's 
Mr.  Pinrye  I  'm  thinkin'  about.  It 's  he  that 's 
been  in  every  known  land  all  over  the  wurreld 
a-thravelin'  amongst  lards  an'  ladies  an'  "  — 

"  An'  supposin'  he  has,  Mary  Ann  ?  "  said 
Katy,  who  was  making  pastry,  and  stopped  to 
roll  her  sleeves  up  a  little  higher. 

Molly  was  a  little  anxious  about  Katy,  who, 
she  thought,  was  not  sufficiently  impressed  with 
the  seriousness  of  the  occasion. 

"  An'  ye  don't  see  the  impartance  of  suppos- 
in' he  has,  Katy  Dolan  ? "  she  asked.  Then 
she  added,  solemnly  :  "  Oh  Katy  !  Katy  me 
child,  listen  to  me  now  whilst  I  tell  yez.  There's 
Mr.  Pinrye  been  inhabitin'  every  known  land, 
as  I  was  a-sayin',  till  he  's  well  acquainted  this 
minute  with  all  the  languages  ever  was  spoke, 
an'  there 's  not  the  bit  o'  mate,  nor  the  article 
in  anny  o'  the  cookery  books ;  no,  not  the 


THE   CHEZZLES.  227 

petaty  that  he  'd  see  put  on  the  table  and  not 
know,  as  quick  as  his  eye  rested  on  it,  whether 
it  was  cooked  in  accardance  wid  the  Frinch  na- 
tion or  the  English  "  —  Molly  had  picked  up 
a  long  basting-spoon  and  marked  off  each  na- 
tion with  a  wave  of  it  —  "  or  the  I-talien,  or  the 
Chi-nese,  or  the  —  the  Parchy-geese  "  (she  was 
delighted  to  have  thought  of  them)  "  or  the  — 
the  —  the  rest  o'  them  all !  "  with  a  wave  of 
the  spoon  which  took  in  the  world  at  large. 

"  Well,  what  o'  that  ?  "  asked  Katy,  balanc- 
ing a  pie  on  one  hand  while  she  neatly  trimmed 
off  the  superfluous  dough.  "  There  's  wan 
thing  he  '11  do  annyhow." 

"  An'  what 's  that  ?  "  asked  Molly. 

"  Why,"  said  Katy,  with  a  twinkle  in  her 
eye,  "  whether  he  brings  wid  him  a  Frinch,  or 
a  Dutch,  or  a  Christian  or  a  hay  then  appetite, 
it 's  an  American  male  he  '11  put  into  him- 
silf!" 

"  Mind  yer  wit  now,  and  kape  it  for  yer  own 
convanience,  Katy  Dolan  !  "  said  Molly,  laugh- 
ing in  spite  of  herself.  "  An'  mind  another 
thing  too,  if  ye  know  where  ye  are  !  Kape  yer 
eyes  in  yer  head  an'  yer  ears  where  they  belong, 
Katy  dear,  an'  whin  the  furrin  help  comes,  be 
ready  to  pick  up  all  the  knowledge  ye  '11  find 
lyin'  round.  For  there 's  no  sinse  in  Mrs. 


228  THE   CHEZZLES. 

drizzle's  own  brother  kapin'  the  shtyle  all  to 
himsilf .  So,  mark  what  I  'm  sayin' —  if  he  's 
comin'  here  to  bring  along  wid  him  anny  high, 
furrin  juke-ways  —  we  '11  have  them  same  in 
the  Chizzle  family." 

Katy  responded  to  this  idea  very  promptly. 
"  That 's  me  own  mind  too,  Molly,"  she  said. 
"  We  '11  show  the  Frinchies  the  high-standing 
o'  the  Chizzle  family  in  no  time  at  all.  Only 
I  'm  thinkin'  it 's  not  juke-ways  at-all-at-all  that 
the  two  byes  '11  be  showin'  off  ther'  bettermost 
Bobby  himself  most  partickerlar  !  " 

"  Let  the  byes  alone  to  show  for  themselves," 
said  Molly.  "  It 's  not  half  an  eye  the  cook 
an'  waiter-bye  '11  have  betwixst  thim  if  they 
can't  see  that  it's  Challey  an'  little  Bob  as 
hasn't  their  aqual  in  anny  place.  But  what 
are  we  thinkin'  of?  Ain't  they  conrin'  this 
blessed  day  an'  ain't  the  time  a-flyin'  ?  " 

On  her  way  through  the  kitchen-wing  Molly 
saw  Captain  Pepper  coming  across  the  grass 
and  stept  out  upon  the  piazza  to  meet  him  with 
a  pleasant  "  Good-morning,  Captain  Pepper- 
sir  ! " 

"  Good-morning  !  "  said  the  captain,  a  little 
dolefully.  "  I  found  a  slice  and  dogs  in  my 
back  attic,"  setting  down  a  long-handled  fire- 
shovel  and  pair  of  quaint  iron  andirons,  "  and 


THE  CHEZZLES.  229 

I  thought  maybe  Mrs.  Chezzle  'd  like  'em. 
Tell  her  they  're  a  present,  will  you  ?  "  The 
captain  was  looking  out  to  sea,  as  he  added : 
"  I  'm  thinking  about  goin'  to  the  Vineyard 
this  morning,  and,  if  there  's  any  " — 

"Whatever  do  ye  mane,  Captain  Pepper- 
sir  ?  "  exclaimed  Molly.  "  To  be  goin'  to  Mar- 
ther's  Vineyard  to-day,  wid  the  stage-coach  an' 
Mrs.  Chizzle  an'  her  husbant  an'  all  o'  them 
comin'  ?  An'  ain't  ye  falin'  well,  Captain  Pep- 
per-sir ?  " 

"  Well  maybe  I  'm  a  little  mauger,"  he  an- 
swered. "  I  think  I  '11  go,  the  tide 's  good, 
and  "  — 

"  Come  in  !  Come  in  till  I  git  yez  a  cup  o' 
tay,"  said  Molly,  anxiously.  She  had  never  seen 
the  captain  so  dejected  and  she  was  troubled. 
"Will  ye  have  that  nayther?  No?  Thin 
come  in  till  ye  jist  rest  a  bit  —  do  now  !  No  ? 
Thin  stop  till  ye  do  somethin'  far  me." 

This  plea  induced  the  captain  to  follow  Molly 
into  the  parlor. 

"  There !  "  she  said,  drawing  out  an  old- 
fashioned  rocking-chair  ;  "  sit  down  now  !  " 

"  Oh  no,  I  '11  stand.  I  'm  not  so  bad  as  that 
yet.  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  Do  far  me  ?  Well,  it 's  not  for  me  so 
much  as  it 's  for  the  family,"  said  Molly,  in- 


230  THE   CHEZZLES. 

geniously,  for  she  had  guessed  by  this  time 
what  was  the  trouble  with  the  captain.  Look- 
ing around  the  room  to  try  and  discover  some 
excuse  for  requiring  his  services,  her  eye  lighted 
upon  the  fire-board,  and  she  bethought  herself 
of  his  gift  of  the  andirons,  and  said  : 

"  If  I  knew  just  how,  I  'd  like  to  fix  up  the 
fireplace  wid  a  little  fire  ah1  ready  to  light  — 
the  way  Mrs.  Chizzle's  heart  '11  warm  up  to  it 
like.  An'  I  was  hopin'  ye  'd  look  afther  the 
byes  a  "  — 

"  The  boys  ? "  asked  the  captain,  a  little 
sadly.  "  I  don't  know  what  the  boys  '11  want 
with  me  !  I  've  just  taken  down  their  beds, 
and  strapped  up  their  trunks ;  I  '11  wheel  'em 
over  in  the  barrow  'fore  noon.  My  cruise  with 
the  boys  is  over  !  " 

"  Over  is  it  ?  "  said  Molly,  gayly.  "  Go  'long 
Captain  Pepper-sir,  I  'm  sorry  far  yez  !  If  ye  're 
in  expectaytion  that  them  byes  are  done  trackin' 
up  yer  settin'-room  kyarpet,  ye  're  dramin'.  I 
thocht  ye  knew  better  than  that,  I  did  now ! 
They  '11  be  hangin'  round  yez  like  —  like  jist 
themsilves  thin  an'  nothing  else,  barrin'  the 
wood-ticks  that  gets  clawed  into  them." 

"  You  think  so  ?  "  said  the  captain.  "  Well, 
your  opinion  counts,  Molly.  But  I  '11  own  up 
to  you,  without  tackin',  that  it  was  like  a  funeral 


THE   CHEZZLES.  231 

to  take  down  those  two  bunks  !  I  felt  like 
reading  the  service  !  " 

"  The  sarvice  !  "  said  Molly,  laughing  out- 
right. "  Well,  don't  read  it  till  I  git  time  to 
listen  to  yez,  for  I  'd  like  to  perfarm  high  mass 
afther  it !  " 

Molly  was  a  capital  antidote  for  low  spirits. 
"I  won't,"  the  captain  said,  more  brightly. 
"  Those  little  chaps  have  been  more  than  com- 
pany for  me,  an'  my  flag  is  clear  down  at  half 
mast  at  the  thought  of  parting  with  'em.  Ye 
want  that  fire-board  down  ?  All  right !  I 
reckon  I  '11  wait  a  couple  o'  tides  before  I  go  to 
the  Vineyard !  " 

He  set  to  work  at  the  fireplace  while  Molly 
went  about  the  house  putting  finishing  touches 
everywhere  and  singing  her  Irish  songs  up- 
stairs and  down.  The  captain  was  thinking, 
"  That 's  done ;  what  next  ?  "  when  there  was 
a  rush  of  legs  across  the  piazza  and  Challey 
appeared,  panting,  and  with  trouble  on  his 
countenance,  saying  :  "  I  say,  Cap'm  Pepper, 
ain't  it  just  mean  ?  Bob  has  gone  and  "  — 

"  Haul  in  !  Haul  in  an'  drop  anchor  a  min- 
ute, chap,  till  ye  get  yer  wind  an'  start  fair. 
There  —  so  !  "  said  the  captain,  taking  Challey 
up  bodily,  turning  him  upside-down,  right 
again,  and  setting  him  on  his  feet,  —  a  favorite 


232  THE   CHEZZLES. 

trick  of  his  when  he  saw  trouble  brewing  with 
the  boys.  He  used  to  say  that  '  it  made  the 
temper  spill  overboard,  turned  the  tide,  and 
started  'em  on  a  new  tack.' 

But  Challey's  temper  did  not  spill  overboard 
this  time.  He  came  up  with  a  decided  thunder- 
cloud on  his  face,  and  broke  out  in  an  excited 
and  injured  tone  :  "  I  say  it 's  mean  !  And  it 
is  n't  a  bit  fair  of  Bob  !  He  's  been  and  gone 
and  got  the  biggest  wheelbarrow  an'  he  's  load- 
ing it  with  all  his  might  with  the  things  that 
belong  in  my  own  corner  of  the  shop  and  he  's 
going  to  carry  his  pile  of  shavings  and  mine 
too,  and  all  the  chips  you  gave  us,  over  to  Uncle 
Tom's  big  shed  and  —  no,  I  don't  want  to  be 
put  upside-down  —  the  chips  you  gave  me  for 
my  very  own  because  he  says  you  won't  let  us 
keep  our  things  over  to  your  place  any  more, 
and  the  other  boys  and  I  have  got  the  ( Maria 
Pepper '  and  the  (  Thomas  Antynette  '  by  your 
front  gate,  and  Bob  's  going  to  take  his  boat  to 
Uncle  Tom's  gate  and  "  — 

"  And  it  's  blowin'  gales  and  hurricanes 
enough  to  take  our  ears  off  ! "  cried  the  cap- 
tain, catching  Challey  up  by  the  middle  of  his 
body  and  walking  off  with  him  under  one  arm. 
"  We  '11  right  the  sails  in  no  time  at  all  an' 
satisfy  the  crew,  if  possible  !  " 


THE   CHEZZLES.  233 

The  crew  was  satisfied  in  about  two  minutes. 
The  captain  gave  them  hearty  permission  to 
continue  in  possession  of  their  pet  corners  in 
his  carpenter-shop,  and  Bob  unloaded  the  wheel- 
barrow on  the  spot. 

"  Hurrah  !  That  's  just  gullorious  !  "  said 
Challey.  "  Our  shop  's  a  lot  better  than  Uncle 
Tom's ! " 

"I  know  that !"  said  Bob,  from  behind  as 
many  shavings  as  his  arms  could  hold.  "  I 
don't  want  to  go  over  there  at  all,  only  I 
thought  we  'd  got  to.  And  if  you  've  got  to 
do  a  thing,  Challey,  why  you  've  got  to  !  " 

"I  know  that,  Bob,"  said  Challey.  "But 
you  're  all  for  doing  it  right  off,  and  /  want  to 
be  pop  sure  I  've  got  to  before  I  go  at  it !  " 

"  Well,  we  have  n't  got  to  this  time,  anyhow. 
Won't  it  be  fun  to  come  over  here  every  morn- 
ing?" said  Bob. 

"  Yes,  like  men  going  to  work,"  said  Challey. 
"  Now  my  things  are  fixed  just  the  way  I  want 
papa  and  mamma  and  Uncle  Tom  and  Maria 
and  the  French  waiter  and  cook  to  see  them. 
Don't  you  touch  'em  again,  Bob  !  Now  I  'm 
going  to  take  the  carriage  to  get  Ranna  in," 
saying  which,  he  hurried  away  with  the  clumsy 
wheelbarrow  wobbling  behind  him. 

He  soon  came  back,  harnessed  to  it,  in  the 


234  THE   CHEZZLES. 

character  of  a  pony,  with  Alex  Tucldt  for  the 
"  off "  horse  and  Ranna  driving  them.  She 
looked  paler  than  she  used  to,  but  smiling  and 
merry.  They  stopped  at  the  gate  where  the 
boats  were  stationed  in  all  the  glory  of  hoisted 
sails  and  flying  colors. 

The  boys  had  planned  a  reception  of  the 
travelers  at  this  spot.  Ranna  was  to  sit  in  the 
wheelbarrow,  like  a  little  queen,  with  cushions 
and  a  gay  shawl,  provided  by  Mrs.  Barnes,  for 
her  feet.  She  was  content  to  let  Challey  do  what 
he  liked  with  her,  and  submitted  to  being  lifted 
off  her  throne,  dumped  back  again,  stationed 
anywhere,  or  trundled  about.  She  was  finally 
left  between  the  gate-posts,  one  of  which  Bob 
clapped  his  hands  on,  exclaiming :  "  I  speak 
for  this  !  " 

"  All  right !  "  said  Challey.  "  Then  I  '11  take 
the  other."  It  was  only  an  hour  before  the 
coach  would  be  due,  but  the  boys  considered 
that  it  was  time  to  begin  to  watch  for  it. 

Children  collected  from  all  sides,  but  Elva 
Tuckit  took  care  of  them,  setting  them  to  play 
games  and  managing  to  keep  the  space  free  in 
front  of  Ranna,  that  she  might  look  on  and 
enjoy  it  all. 

Challey  and  Bob  were  too  much  excited  to 
join  in  the  games,  and  spent  the  hour  in  arrang- 


THE   CHE%ZLES.  235 

ing,  over  and  over  again,  the  sails  and  rigging  of 
the  boats,  and  in  climbing  the  gate-posts  where 
they  stood  at  intervals,  like  sentinels,  with  the 
American  and  French  flags  which  they  waved 
vigorously  over  the  head  of  the  bright  little 
mute  who  looked  up  and  swung  her  arms  in 
high  glee,  without  the  faintest  idea  of  what  it 
was  all  about. 


XX. 

WATCHING   FOR   THE   NIPSIT   COACH. 

FOR  it 's  not  two,  but  it 's  twinty  legs  that 
bye  has  !  For  his  mother's  sake,  run  save 
some  o'  them,  Captain  Pepper-sir  lookat ! " 
cried  Molly,  in  great  distress.  The  coach  was 
in  sight,  and  Bob  was  climbing  his  post.  Chal- 
ley  and  he  were  roaring,  with  all  their  mights, 
for  the  captain  to  come  too.  His  "cruise 
over  with  the  boys  "  ?  What  nonsense  !  They 
could  not  greet  the  coach  without  him. 

Of  course  it  stopped  at  the  gate.  Mrs.  Chez- 
zle  got  out  of  it,  the  boys  were  on  the  ground 
in  a  flash,  and  the  flags  of  the  two  nations  would 
have  been  trampled  under  foot  if  Alex  Tuckit 
and  Jim  Holburn  had  not  caught  them. 

It  was  a  wonder  how  Mrs.  Chezzle  ever  got 
her  breath  again  after  that  first  hug  !  For 
there  were  two  boys  to  give  it  to  her,  and  it 
was  a  double,  tumbling,  grasping,  clasping  hug 


THE   CHEZZLES.  237 

of  a  mighty  order!  But  they  came  out  of  it 
safely.  Uncle  Tom  towsled  the  heads  and 
lifted  each  of  the  boys  up  to  a  level  with  his 
kind,  brown  eyes,  by  way  of  an  embrace. 
When  he  set  them  down  again,  they  exchanged 
shy  glances  with  Maria,  who,  keeping  fast  hold 
of  her  aunt's  dress,  did  not  know  whether  she 
was  most  frightened  or  pleased  to  find  herself 
suddenly  set  down  in  the  midst  of  such  a  crowd 
of  children.  Mrs.  Chezzle  could  not  help  her, 
because  she  had  to  reach  across  half  a  dozen 
heads  to  shake  hands  with  Captain  Pepper  and 
present  him  to  her  brother.  They  could  not 
go  into  the  house  without  recognizing  the  group 
of  interested  little  spectators.  So  Uncle  Tom 
said  "  Halloa ! "  several  times,  in  the  most 
gratifying  manner,  took  suitable  notice  of  the 
boats,  and  bowed  acknowledgments  for  both 
Maria  and  himself  when  Challey  led  off  "  three 
cheers  for  the  '  Thomas  Antynette '  and  the 
'  Maria  Pepper  ' !  " 

Then  Uncle  Tom  wanted  to  know  whose 
bright  eyes  those  were  peering  at  him  from 
under  the  flags  which  Alex  and  Jim  had  al- 
lowed to  droop  so  that  they  nearly  covered  little 
Ranna  in  the  wheelbarrow.  That  made  Chal- 
ley and  Bob  dive  in  among  the  children  to 
either  side  of  Ranna  and  present  her. 


238  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  See,  mamma  !  See,  Uncle  Tom  and  Maria. 
This  is  Ranna !  "  cried  Challey,  waving  the 
children  aside  to  let  his  mother  and  Maria  draw 
near. 

A  pretty  little  minute  happened  just  then. 
Ranna  looked  up  straight  into  Maria's  eyes, 
and  Maria,  looking  down  and  meeting  that  quiet, 
wistful,  searching  look,  felt  as  if  her  heart  had 
suddenly  grown  too  big,  and  with  infinite  ten- 
derness held  out  her  arms.  Ranna  sprang  to 
her  feet  and  stood  an  instant  motionless  on 
her  wheelbarrow  ;  then  she  seemed  to  laugh  all 
over  her  little  body  as  she  threw  herself  upon 
Maria's  breast.  It  was  only  a  minute,  but  it 
gave  birth  to  a  friendship  which  was  to  last  a 
lifetime,  and  which  opened  for  Ranna  a  new 
world. 

Then  Maria  went  into  the  house  with  her 
cousins,  Alex  wheeled  Ranna  home,  and  the 
crowd  scattered,  leaving  nobody  there  but  Mr. 
Chezzle  and  Captain  Pepper  getting  the  last  of 
the  parcels  and  shawls  out  of  the  coach. 

It  did  not  make  a  bit  of  difference  what  they 
had  for  dinner.  So  far  from  knowing  how  it 
was  cooked,  Mr.  Thomas  Penroy  knew  nothing 
about  it,  and  for  his  life  could  not  have  told 
the  nationality  of  his  appetite  !  After  the  meal 
was  over  the  grown  folks  had  so  much  to  say 


THE   CHEZZLES.  239 

to  one  another  and  so  many  details  to  arrange 
that  the  children  were  thrown  entirely  upon 
their  own  resources.  The  boys  screwed  up 
their  courage  to  ask  Maria  to  go  with  them 
down  to  the  beach  to  see  the  "  Luella  "  and 
Captain  Pepper,  but  as  soon  as  they  had  her  all 
to  themselves  they  were  abashed. 

While  she  was  getting  her  hat  they  waited 
on  the  piazza. 

"  Challey,  you  talk  French  to  her  ! "  whis- 
pered Bob.  But  Challey  called  to  Elva  Tuckit, 
who  was  passing  by,  and  pulled  his  big  straw 
hat  far  down  over  his  eyes  as  soon  as  he  heard 
Maria  coming. 

"  Please  come  with  us,  Elva,  and  don't  go 
away,"  he  whispered  entreatingly.  Elva  was 
enchanted. 

Challey  could  introduce  Ranna  in  the  midst 
of  the  crowd,  because  mamma  was  there,  and 
the  boys,  and  everybody.  But  he  could  not 
possibly  introduce  Elva  and  Maria  now  !  So 
they  all  walked  along  without  a  word. 

Elva  lagged  a  little  so  as  to  get  a  view  of 
Maria  from  behind.  Certainly,  she  thought 
little  Miss  Penroy  was  not  like  any  child  in 
Nipsit.  She  was  far  more  beautiful  and  walked 
like  a  fairy.  Elva  tried  to  imitate  her,  but 
her  feet  were  too  clumsy.  She  heaved  a  sigh 


240  THE   CHEZZLES. 

and  wished  she  had  the  baby  so  that  she 
would  know  what  to  do  with  her  hands.  Poor, 
honest,  simple-hearted  Elva  !  If  she  had  but 
known  it,  Maria  was  more  abashed  than  any 
of  the  children.  She  was  ashamed  of  both  her 
French  and  her  imperfect  English  and  did  not 
utter  a  word.  Bob  ran  a  few  steps  in  advance, 
walked  ahead,  joined  Challey  and  his  cousin 
for  a  minute,  then  lagged  behind  with  Elva, 
taking  in  Maria  from  every  point  of  view. 

"  I  thought  Challey  and  you  talked  French," 
Elva  whispered.  "  Why  don't  you  do  it  now  ?  " 

"  I  'm  goin'  to  ;  who  's  afraid  ?  "  said  Bob. 
He  edged  up  to  Maria,  kept  step  with  her  for 
a  rod,  then  suddenly  looked  at  her  and  ex- 
claimed :  "  Pollyvoo  Frongsay  dunnymoy-dy- 
burrseelvooplay  that 's  aU  /  know  !  "  and  turned 
a  somersault. 

It  was  the  best  thing  he  could  have  done, 
under  the  circumstances,  and  it  broke  the  ice 
immediately. 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Maria,  anxiously.  "  Haf 
you  tummle  town  ?  " 

The  children  ah1  laughed  at  the  idea,  Bob 
loudest. 

Seeing  that  he  was  not  hurt,  Maria  smiled 
and  asked :  "  Iss  that  nice  sai-lore  talk  you  say 
to -me?" 


THE   CHEZZLES.  241 

The  children  laughed  again,  and  Bob 
shouted  :  "  No ;  it 's  French  !  "  Then  Maria 
laughed  aloud,  took  two  little  skips,  and  said  : 
"  Tell  it  me  more  —  will  it  ?  " 

Bob  repeated  the  somersault,  not  the  French. 

"  Oh !  "  cried  Maria  again.  "  You  will  preak 
the  pones  off  the  head  !  " 

"  Oho-ho  !  Break  his  head  !  No,  he  won't 
—  see  !  "  cried  Challey,  instantly  imitating  Bob 
in  an  alarming  manner.  It  took  a  great  many 
somersaults  to  teach  Maria  that  they  were  not 
dangerous  to  life  and  limb.  The  boys  thought 
she  had  better  learn  at  once,  in  spite  of  Elva's 
protestations.  But  the  result  was  satisfactory 
so  far  as  helping  to  get  them  acquainted  with 
one  another. 

An  hour  or  so  later,  coming  back  into  the 
house,  the  children  found  nobody  about  but  Mr. 
Penroy,  sitting  by  the  fire  which  was  crackling 
peacefully  on  Captain  Pepper's  old  andirons. 
Maria,  delighted  with  a  little  Shaker  arm-chair 
which  she  spied  in  a  corner,  placed  it  on  the 
hearth-rug  and  ran  up-stairs  to  get  Marguerite. 
Challey  and  Bob  waited  in  the  entry  a  moment 
to  take  a  private  view  of  their  uncle  through 
the  crack  of  the  door. 

He  considerately  allowed  them  to  think  he 
was  unconscious  of  the  fact,  until  Challey,  who 


THE   CHEZZLES. 

was  uppermost,  bore  down  rather  heavily  upon 
his  little  brother  and  caused  him  to  give  a  snort 
altogether  too  loud  to  ignore.  Challey  burst 
out  laughing,  but  Bob  was  furious  and  cried 
out :  "  There  !  You  jammed  me  right  into  the 
crack,  Challey,  and  you  very  nearly  pinched  my 
nose  off  —  you  know  you  did  !  I  '11  "  — 

"  Come  in,  shavers  !  "  said  Uncle  Tom,  hold- 
ing his  hand  out  invitingly  to  them.  "  Did 
you  really  get  hurt  ?  "  he  asked,  with  some 
concern,  as  Bob  entered  the  room,  still  holding 
on  to  his  nose,  and  scowling.  Challey  said 
quietly :  "  Of  course  he  did  n't.  If  he  had, 
he  'd  have  screamed  so  you  'd  'a'  jumped  out 
of  your  chair  like  a  scarecrow.  What  are  you 
holding  on  to  your  nose  for,  Bob  ?  " 

"  'Cause  I  'm  just  glad  I  've  got  it,  and  that 's 
why  ;  and  I  'm  glad  /  did  n't  be  impolite  and 
call  Uncle  Tom  a  scarecrow !  "  said  Bob. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  that,"  said  his  uncle, 
while  Challey  blushed  scarlet.  "It  would  be 
quite  an  accomplishment,  Bob,  if  I  could  jump 
like  a  scarecrow.  I  should  like  to  know  how, 
amazingly.  But  come  here,  both  of  you;  I 
want  to  know  something.  Tell  me  what  you 
wish  I  had  brought  you  in  one  of  those  great 
boxes  out  in  the  barn." 

"  Hew-ee  !  "    cried  Bob,  getting   astride   of 


THE   CHEZZLES.  243 

his  uncle's  knee.  "  What  I  want  would  n't  go 
inside  of  them  if  they  were  all  made  into  one 
box!" 

"  Would  n't  it,  indeed? "  asked  Uncle  Tom, 
making  big  eyes  at  Bob  while  he  drew  Challey 
to  a  seat  upon  his  other  knee.  "  What  can  it 
be?" 

^  Why,"  said  Bob,  eagerly,  "  I  want  a  big, 
three-masted  war-vessel,  with  a  hundred  guns, 
to  give  to  Captain  Pepper  all  for  his  own  so 
that  he  could  beat  the  British  all  to  nothing." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Uncle  Tom.  "  Well,  we  must 
consider  that.  And  what  do  you  wish  I  had 
brought  you,  Challey-boy  ?  " 

"  What  I  really  want,  Uncle  Tom,"  said 
Challey,  confidentially,  "  is  a  pair  of  topen-lif t 
halyards  to  fasten  up  my  trousers." 

"  Top  and  — what?  "  asked  Uncle  Tom. 

"  Topen  -  lift  -  halyards,"  repeated  Challey. 
"  You  see,  Uncle  Tom,  my  trousers  button  onto 
my  shirt-waist,  but  /  think  I  'm  old  enough  to 
wear  halyards." 

Uncle  Tom  still  looked  puzzled,  so  Bob 
struck  in  :  "  Crissy  Jones  calls  'em  galluses, 
but  Challey  means  s'penders." 

"  You  see,"  pursued  Challey,  "  the  topen-lif  t 
rope  on  a  sailboat  goes  from  the  cabin-door, 
across  deck  and  up  the  mast  and  over  the  sail 


244  THE   CHEZZLES. 

and  down,  back  to  the  tiller.  Now,"  —  he  slid 
off  his  uncle's  knee  and  lifted  up  his  jacket  to 
explain  better,  —  "  the  buttons  behind  are  the 
tiller-cleats,  and  the  buttons  before  are  the  other 
cleats,  and  "  — 

"I  see,  perfectly,"  said  Uncle  Tom.  "If  I 
can  only  remember,  I  shall  never  mention  sus- 
penders again  !  And  you  shall  have  a  pair  of 
topen-lift  halyards,  without  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt.  Of  course,  Bob,  if  Captain  Pepper 
feels  as  you  do,  we  '11  have  to  charter  a  war- 
ship from  the  government." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  Bob,  sure  of  the  vessel 
from  that  moment.  "  Then  we  can  all  go  on  a 
whaling  voyage  in  it ;  will  you  go  too,  Uncle 
Tom?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  quite  like  to  promise  that," 
said  Mr.  Penroy.  "  If  I  went,  I  should  be 
afraid  the  whale  would  get  me,  instead  of  my 
getting  him  !  He  might  be  like  that  shar  "  — 

"  Now  look  here,  Uncle  Tom  !  "  interrupted 
Challey,  hastily.  "  That  dog-shark  was  all  right 
when  he  bit  Bob  !  A  fish  has  got  a  right  to 
bite  if  you  catch  him  by  the  tail !  He  's  got 
a  right  to  do  it,  anyway,  if  he  can  ! " 

"  Yes,"  screamed  Bob  ;  "  but  you  need  n't  be 
afraid,  Uncle  Tom !  /  know  what  to  do  well 
enough  when  I  catch  the  next  one  !  Hm  ! 


THE   CHEZZLES.  245 

'deed  I  do  !  That  fellow  did  n't  bite  me  for 
nothing !  " 

"  How  will  you  manage  next  time  ?  "  asked 
Uncle  Tom,  much  interested. 

"  Why  !  "  said  Bob,  confidentially,  panto- 
miming the  act  with  his  small  fists,  "  I M  catch 
him  by  the  gills  !  Hm !  I  tell  you  he  could  n't 
bite  then !  I  asked  Captain  Pepper,  and  he 
said  so  too." 

Uncle  Tom's  eyes  expressed  a  good  deal,  but 
he  did  not  say  anything.  In  a  moment  or  two 
Maria  came  singing  down  the  stairs,  and,  taking 
possession  of  the  Shaker  chair,  asked  her  father 
to  tell  a  story,  and  he  entertained  the  children 
until  tea  was  announced. 

When  bedtime  came,  Bob  told  his  mother 
all  about  the  war-vessel  which  Uncle  Tom  was 
going  to  give  to  Captain  Pepper. 

"  And  if  the  British  do  make  a  war  and 
come  to  Nipsit,  won't  they  catch  it,  though !  " 
he  said.  "  You  need  n't  laugh,  mamma ;  Uncle 
Tom  did  n't." 

"  No,"  said  Challey ;  "  that 's  just  the  most 
splendid  thing  about  him.  He  knows  exactly 
what  a  boy  wants,  too  !  " 

Mrs.  Chezzle  began  to  lecture  the  boys  on 
the  impropriety  of  asking  Uncle  Tom  for 
things,  but  she  soon  found  that  she  had  no 


246  THE  CHEZZLES. 

cause  for  anxiety,  and,  after  kissing  the  little 
faces  snuggled  into  their  pillows,  she  went 
down-stairs  with  such  a  bright  face  that  her 
brother  exclaimed  once  more  'how  astonish- 
ingly becoming  the  middies  were  to  the  little 
mother.' 

The  lights  were  out  at  an  early  hour  all  over 
the  cottage.  Up  in  the  top  window  of  the 
kitchen  wing  Molly's  candle  was  the  last  one  to 
be  seen.  As  she  extinguished  it  she  remarked 
to  Katy,  who  was  half  asleep  :  "  I  've  larned  the 
two  names  o'  thim,  annyhow.  It  's  i  Ong- 
twong '  they  call  the  waiter-bye,  and  it 's  noth- 
ing but  e  Mad  Lane  '  they  call  the  cook  !  Sure 
it 's  the  craziest  language  ivver  invinted.  It 's 
only  jist  a  mixin'  of  the  Chinee  an'  the  Lunytic 
Asylum.  Katy,  me  chilt,  I  think  I  '11  not 
throuble  mesilf  to  larn  Frinch  at  all,  for  ther  's 
not  a  grain  o'  sinse  in  it !  " 


XXI. 

MB.    CHEZZLE   CONVINCES    HIS    WIFE    THAT   THE    PENROYS* 
NEIGHBORS   ARE    CHARMING    PEOPLE. 

BY  the  middle  of  October  there  were  a 
number  of  questions  which  puzzled  Mrs. 
Chezzle.  Her  brother  had  devoted  many  days 
to  traveling  over  Boston  in  search  of  a  suit- 
able house  to  purchase.  Whenever  her  hus- 
band could  get  away  from  business,  he  had 
accompanied  Mr.  Penroy,  and  they  had  driven 
nobody  knows  how  many  miles  in  coupes, 
cars,  and,  in  the  emergency,  had  even  bumped 
around  in  a  herdic  —  an  experience  to  which 
Mrs.  Chezzle  had  supposed  her  brother  would 
never  submit.  A  house  had  finally  been  se- 
lected on  Marlborough  Street,  and  Antoine  had 
been  established  in  it  to  superintend  the  un- 
packing of  the  things  sent  from  Nipsit  and  to 
conduct  the  setting  of  it  in  order. 

All  that  was  simple  enough,  but  Mrs.  Chezzle 
had  expected  to  be  consulted  more.  Hereto- 
fore her  counsel  had  been  necessary  to  her 


248  THE   CHEZZLES. 

brother,  and  now  he  seemed  to  want  very  little 
of  it.  Of  course  her  husband  was  wiser,  and 
it  was  certainly  a  pleasure  to  see  the  two  men 
grow  more  and  more  intimate  and  take  to  each 
other,  just  as  she  had  hoped  they  would.  That 
was  so  satisfactory  that  she  was  quite  content 
at  not  being  invited  to  accompany  them  on 
their  house  -  hunting  expeditions.  But  when 
the  house  was  decided  upon,  she  was  surprised 
at  not  being  asked  to  look  at  it  even,  before  it 
was  purchased.  And  nothing  was  said  about 
its  distance  from  the  little  house  in  Roxbury. 
Certainly,  with  all  the  labor  of  tidying-up  after 
the  Macksby  family,  she  could  not  be  expected 
to  make  frequent  visits  away  off  in  Marlborough 
Street.  Her  brother  had  thought  her  influence 
of  the  greatest  importance  to  Maria,  and  now 
he  was  putting  half  Boston  between  them.  He 
must  be  intending  to  have  a  governess  for  the 
child  again,  but  she  would  miss  "  Chere  Tante  " 
terribly.  And  "  Chere  Tante  "  had  grown  so 
fond  of  her  niece  that  it  would  come  very  hard 
to  part  with  her.  Tom  had  made  so  much 
of  the  boys  too  —  it  was  strange  for  him  to 
plan  deliberately  to  have  Maria  live  three  miles 
away  from  them.  Mrs.  Chezzle  wondered  if 
her  brother  had  perceived  faults  in  the  char- 
acters of  Challey  and  Bob  which  he  was  afraid 


THE   CHEZZLES.  249 

Maria  might  imitate.  But  that  was  impossible  ! 
"  Tom  cannot  have  settled  upon  an  idea  so 
utterly  absurd  as  that"  she  decided,  and  put 
the  thought  out  of  her  mind. 

What  puzzled  her  as  much  as  anything  was 
that  her  husband  should  set  so  light  a  value  as 
he  appeared  to  upon  all  these  considerations. 
Jack  was  almost  provoking.  He  was  so  en- 
thusiastic about  the  prettiness  and  convenience 
of  the  interior  of  the  house,  that  he  would  not 
give  any  importance  whatever  to  its  location, 
and,  when  his  wife  hinted  that  her  brother  and 
niece  would  be  lonely  at  such  a  distance  from 
them,  he  only  talked  about  some  delightful 
neighbors  who  would  be  next  door.  In  fact, 
Mrs.  Chezzle  got  a  little  tired  of  hearing  about 
those  neighbors  and  one  day  protested,  saying, 
with  some  spirit :  "But  they  are  not  going  to 
take  the  place  of  near  relations,  John  !  How 
can  you  be  sure  that  an  exclusive  fellow  like 
Tom  is  going  to  get  acquainted  all  at  once  ? 
And  how  do  you  know  they  are  delightful  ?  " 
And  she  thought  to  herself  that  his  reasoning 
was  "  just  like  a  man  !  " 

But  he  answered  good-naturedly :  "  Oh,  I 
think  I  can  tell.  I  have  seen  the  lady  several 
times,  and  she  strikes  me  as  a  bright,  pleasant 
little  person ;  neat  and  trig  enough  to  suit 


250  THE   CHEZZLES. 

me,  anyhow,  Nelly.  She  is  nice  with  her  chil- 
dren, too  ;  I  saw  them  with  her  one  day,  and 
they  will  make  capital  playmates  for  Maria. 
For  after  all,  my  dear,  you  must  remember  that 
it  is  well  for  Maria  to  have  plenty  of  com- 
panions. She  ought  to  have  some  little  girl 
friends." 

"  Certainly  !  "  said  Mrs.  Chezzle.  "  And  if 
Tom  would  send  her  to  school  she  might  have 
any  number  of  them.  But  she  has  already 
grown  fond  of  Challey  and  Bob,  and  I  do  not 
believe  she  is  going  to  transfer  her  interest  so 
easily,  as  Tom  and  you  seem  to  think,  to  two 
little  girls  who  are  perfect  strangers  to  her." 

Mr.  Chezzle  only  smiled  and  said  pleasantly 
that  (  children  had  simple  ways  of  settling  all 
such  matters  and  invariably  adapted  themselves 
to  circumstances.'  Which  remark  made  his  wife 
think  once  more  that  he  was  "  just  like  a  man." 

However,  she  made  a  task  for  herself  of  at- 
tending to  her  own  affairs  more  exclusively, 
and  took  comfort  in  the  thought  that  her 
brother  wanted  her  and  nobody  else  to  direct 
the  important  "  finishing  touches  "  to  the  ar- 
rangement of  his  new  dwelling.  So  she  went 
down  from  Nipsit  one  morning  on  purpose, 
and  was  conducted  at  once  to  the  house  by  Mr. 
Chezzle,  who  met  her  at  the  station. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  251 

They  stopped  in  front  of  a  moderately  large 
corner  house  against  which  a  smaller  one 
nestled,  with  chrysanthemums  in  full  bloom, 
climbing  ivy  and  grass  in  the  court-yards  of 
both. 

"  Which  is  Tom's  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Chezzle. 

"  The  corner  one,  of  course,"  said  her  hus- 
band. "  How  do  you  suppose  the  other  could 
hold  his  magnificence  ?  " 

"  Then  '  the  delightful  neighbors '  live 
there  !  "  said  Mrs.  Chezzle,  looking  up  some- 
what frigidly  at  the  second-story  bay-window 
of  the  smaller  house.  "  Where  are  they  ?  I 
don't  see  a  sign  of  the  place  being  occupied." 

"  Yes,  the  lady  is  about  somewhere ;  I 
caught  a  glimpse  of  her,"  Mr.  Chezzle  said, 
smiling.  "  Perhaps  we  will  see  her  again  pres- 
ently. But  just  now  I  would  like  your  atten- 
tion to  your  brother's  dwelling,  little  woman. 
Come  in ;  here  is  Antoine  holding  the  door 
open  for  you." 

The  house  was  certainly  very  pretty,  al- 
though far  less  elegant  than  the  one  Mr.  Pen- 
roy  had  occupied  at  Meaux. 

"  It  is  as  comfortable  as  can  be,  and  beauti- 
ful," Mrs.  Chezzle  said,  after  they  had  gone 
over  every  room  and  had  returned  to  the  large 
front  one  on  the  second  floor  which  was  des- 


252  THE   CHEZZLES. 

tined  for  Maria.  "  I  had  expected  Tom  to  de- 
mand more  luxury  and  elegance,  though.  Only 
because  he  is  used  to  them,  however,  for  he 
certainly  cannot  need  anything  finer  than  this. 
Perhaps,"  she  added  gayly,  "  his  life  at  Nipsit 
gave  him  a  taste  of  something  better  and  more 
satisfying  !  And  perhaps  he  gave  so  much  to 
that  Madagascar  Mission  that  —  people  talk  a 
good  deal  about  its  costing  more  to  live  here 
than  it  does  abroad  —  he  may  not  be  able  to 
be  so  extravagant  as  he  was  there.  If  he  did, 
and,  Jack,  I  never  thought  of  that  before,  but 
if  he  gave  away  enough  to  make  him  feel 
like  going  to  work  and  doing  something,  his 
deed  of  gift  to  the  '  Mad  Mission '  would  not 
be  money  thrown  away  at  all,  even  if  — 
Where  does  that  go,  Jack?"  she  asked  sud- 
denly, pointing  to  a  door  in  the  wall. 

"  Ah,  at  last !  "  said  her  husband.  "  I  have 
been  waiting  for  that  question,  and  expected  it 
sooner.  Yes,  my  dear,"  he  said,  answering  a 
very  puzzled  look  upon  her  face,  "  it  does  lead 
directly  through  the  wall  and  into  the  house  of 
Tom's  neighbors  !  Come,  let  us  see  if  we  can 
find  that  little  lady  anywhere  by  this  time. 
And  don't,"  he  added  mischievously,  "  don't 
begin  with  a  prejudice  against  those  neighbors, 
Nelly,  for  I  assure  you  they  are  very  clever 


THE  CHEZZLES.  253 

people."  As  he  finished,  he  led  his  wife  into 
a  room  of  the  adjoining  house.  But  he  had  to 
wait  a  few  minutes  to  allow  her  to  get  over 
her  bewilderment ;  for  there  were  f amiliar  old 
pieces  of  furniture  from  the  house  in  Rox- 
bury,  newer  pieces  from  Meaux,  and  pictures 
from  both  places,  to  make  her  feel  as  if  she 
were  dreaming. 

"Well!"  she  finally  exclaimed,  "I  don't 
know  whether  I  am  in  Europe  or  America ! 
Tell  me  which  it  is,  John  !  Has  Tom  taken 
this  house  too  ?  And  are  we  "  — 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  said  her  husband.  "  Your 
intellect  is  brightening.  We  are  Tom's  tenants, 
as  well  as  his  neighbors.  I  made  one  mistake 
in  reference  to  the  latter,  however ;  I  should 
have  excepted  you  when  I  called  them  clever, 
for  a  more  surprisingly  dull  little  woman  than 
you  have  been  all  along,  Tom  and  I  together 
never  saw !  " 

"  Oh,  Jack  !  "  cried  his  wife,  as  red  as  a 
peony.  "  I  got  an  idea  at  the  start  that  '  the 
lovely  children '  you  talked  about  were  girls, 
and  after  that  how  could  I  guess  you  meant 
ourselves?  But  now  the  mystery  is  over,  I 
want  to  hear  all  about  it.  I  must  see  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  house  first,  and  then 
you  must  tell  me  the  whole  story." 


254  THE   CHEZZLES. 

So,  in  another  half  hour  they  were  sitting 
together  in  a  pleasant  little  room  on  the  parlor 
floor  and  the  story  was  told. 

"  It  would  all  have  been  much  easier,"  said 
Mr.  Chezzle,  "  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  compli- 
cation of  having  both  Tom  and  the  Macksbys  to 
manage.  Taken  separately,  the  task  of  manag- 
ing either  was  difficult  enough,  but  together  !  — 
After  going  with  me  once  to  the  Macksbys', 
Tom  and  I  agreed  only  upon  one  small  point  — 
that  we  would  not  aUow  you,  if  we  could  help 
it,  to  set  eyes  on  that  place.  If  the  destruction 
of  things  had  only  been  greater,  it  would  n't 
have  been  so  hard  to  decide  what  to  do  —  bon- 
fires, or  chopping  up  for  kindling,  might  have 
settled  it.  But  the  Macksbys  can't  do  any- 
thing perfectly ;  they  left  everything  too  much 
injured  to  keep,  and  not  bad  enough  to  throw 
away.  Tom  wanted  to  empty  the  house,  and 
besieged  me  with  suggestions  of  auctions,  junk- 
shops,  and  dumping-grounds.  He  thought  it 
would  be  a  capital  plan  to  leave  everything  on 
the  sidewalk,  disappear  for  a  few  hours,  and 
send  what  was  left  when  we  returned  to  a  dust- 
heap  !  But  I  put  my  foot  down  finally  and 
settled  it  that  he  should  keep  away  altogether 
from  the  Macksby  region,  and  leave  me  alone 
to  rescue  what  I  could  of  our  household  gods. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  255 

Mammy  Dolan  helped  me,  and  you  see  the  re- 
sult. Between  her  and  the  carpenter  a  good 
deal  was  saved,  and  Tom  was  honestly  surprised 
when  he  saw  it  collected  here.  Mammy  is  con- 
siderably cut  up  at  our  moving  away  from  her 
vicinity,  but  she  was  delighted  at  having  you 
spared  the  sight  of  the  Roxbury  house  in  its 
present  condition  and  at  my  sending  for  her  to 
help  get  this  one  in  order.  She  took  great 
pleasure  in  the  comparative  grandeur  of  this  as 
compared  with  the  old  one,  and  beamed  with 
satisfaction  when  I  told  her  that  the  Dolan 
family  would  still  be  necessary  to  our  existence. 
'  We  shall  not  forget  our  old  friends,  Mammy, 
wherever  we  are,'  I  said  to  her ;  and  you  should 
have  heard  her  declare  :  '  No  sir ;  not  the  hull 
Riyal  Fam'ly  of  England  could  make  anny  o' 
the  Chizzles  do  that  !  '  " 

"  And  Mammy  is  right,  too,"  said  Mrs.  Chez- 
zle,  laughing  at  her  husband's  account.  "I 
think  it  will  be  some  time  before  I  get  used  to 
the  delight  of  starting  housekeeping  with  every- 
thing clean  and  whole  —  I  shall  enjoy  that 
more  than  the  beauty.  But  tell  me  more  about 
Tom ;  have  you  really  learned  to  manage  him, 
Jack?  I  don't  think  even  /  could  do  that !  " 

"  You  are  his  little  sister,  my  dear,  but  I  am 
an  independent  American  citizen  !  "  Mr.  Chez- 


256  THE   CHEZZLES. 

zle  answered  pleasantly.  "  Tom  is  a  fine  fellow 
and  is  not  going  to  stand  between  me  and  my 
real  wishes.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  him  try 
to  help  arrange  everything  just  as  you  would 
like  it.  It  was  his  idea  placing  this  desk  here, 
in  just  the  right  light,  with  those  two  old  ladies 
over  it,  as  they  were  in  your  sitting-room  at 
Meaux,  he  said." 

"  W  ell !  "  said  Mrs.  Chezzle,  sitting  down  at 
the  desk  and  looking  up  at  the  engravings  of 
Gerard  Dow's  "  Winder  "  and  "  Reader."  «  I 
did  not  know  that  one  '  Mother '  was  winding 
the  thread  of  my  life  so  neatly  all  the  while,  or 
that  the  other  was  reading  half  so  pretty  a  for- 
tune for  me.  It  is  all  beautiful,  and  I  am  as 
happy  as  ever  Tom  and  you  could  wish  me  to 
be  ;  but  —  I  suppose  it  is  absurd  —  of  course  it 
is  —  but  I  can't  help  feeling  sorry  "  —  she  laid 
her  cheek  down  on  the  slanting  lid  of  the  desk 
and  spread  her  hands  upon  it  as  she  said,  — 
"  sorry  that  I  'm  not  to  have  the  chance  of 
showing  you  and  Tom  how  happy  I  'd  be  in 
helping  you  mend  up  and  make  the  best  of 
things  at  the  old  house  !  " 

When  her  husband  leaned  over  her,  tears 
were  really  blinding  her  eyes,  although  she 
was  laughing  up  at  him,  too,  in  a  half-and-half 
way. 


XXII. 

THE    CHILDREN    CANNOT    MAKE     LITTLE     KANNA     UNDER- 
STAND  THAT    THEY   ARE   GOING   AWAY. 

IT  was  a  sore  grief  at  first  to  Challey  and 
Bob  that  they  were  not  to  be  allowed  to 
take  their  famous  boats  to  Boston.  But  Cap- 
tain Pepper  made  a  point  of  the  pleasure  and 
comfort  it  would  be  to  him  in  his  loneliness,  if 
the  little  vessels  could  be  loaned  to  him  for  the 
winter. 

"  And  that  settles  it  for  me  ! "  said  Bob, 
planting  himself  between  the  captain's  knees. 
"  You  can  take  care  of  my  boat,  anyhow,  and 
you  can  sail  it  all  you  want  to." 

"  So  you  can  mine  too,  of  course,"  said  Chal- 
ley, and  he  afterwards  sought  an  opportunity 


258  THE   CHEZZLES. 

to  ask  the  captain  privately  whether  it  would 
be  a  still  further  consolation  if  the  name  of  the 
"  Maria  Pepper  "  were  changed  to  "  Zenas  Lu- 
ella,"  or  just  plain  "  Captain  Pepper."  He  was 
relieved  to  have  the  captain  stoutly  resist  any 
alteration  whatever,  for  he  did  not  quite  know 
how  to  explain  such  a  change  to  Maria. 

The  boys  had  a  great  time  saying  good-by 
to  the  captain,  a  ceremony  which  they  had  to 
repeat  all  over  again  every  hour  or  so  the  day 
before  they  left  Nipsit,  because  of  new  things 
to  say  to  him  which  were  continually  suggest- 
ing themselves.  Most  important  among  them 
were  consultations  about  Thanksgiving  time 
when,  after  a  deal  of  urging  from  their  par- 
ents, he  had  consented  to  visit  them  in  Bos- 
ton, which  city,  in  their  opinion,  was  thereby  to 
be  honored  by  the  presence  of  a  guest  whose 
distinction  was  not  to  be  rivalled.  They  made 
plans  for  exhibiting  him  to  their  schoolfellows, 
which  were  to  overwhelm  them  with  honor  and 
excite  them  to  a  pitch  of  enthusiasm  beyond 
anything  they  had  ever  experienced. 

They  were  to  have  a  party  for  the  express 
purpose ;  all  the  schoolboys  were  to  be  invited, 
and  the  captain  was  to  tell  stories  while  the  ice- 
cream and  cake  were  passed  around.  But  he 
was  to  have  some  ice-cream  too;  they  would 


THE   CHEZZLES.  259 

have  a  whole  pyramid  of  the  best  kind  for  just 
him  and  nobody  else,  and  some  "  Charlotte- 
Roosh  "  beside,  if  he  wanted  it !  They  wished 
they  could  have  roast  clams  instead,  though  ! 
My !  would  n't  that  be  just  too  magnificent 
for  anything  ?  To  have  Captain  Pepper  make 
a  little  clam-bake  in  the  back  yard !  They 
could  send  a  barrel  of  seaweed  from  Nipsit  on 
purpose,  and  it  would  be  easy  enough  to  get 
stones  for  the  oven.  That  was  the  best  fun  for 
a  boys'  party  that  was  ever  heard  of.  They 
would  ask  Papa  and  Mamma  as  soon  as  they 
got  home  to  have  a  clam-bake  instead  of  ice- 
cream, and  they  went  at  once  to  ask  Molly  to 
have  the  barrel  of  seaweed  go,  without  fail, 
with  the  baggage,  that  it  might  be  on  hand 
when  it  was  wanted.  They  would  pack  it  them- 
selves, and  she  need  not  have  a  bit  of  trouble. 
"  An'  wid  St.  Michael's  blessin'  on  yez  for 
bein'  the  conthrivinest  byes  that  ivver  was  born 
into  the  wurreld,"  said  Molly,  in  dismay.  "  I  'm 
thinkin'  me  throuble  'd  come  wid  the  emptyin' 
of  the  barr'l,  an'  not  the  packin'  of  it  at-all-at- 
all !  "  But  her  ready  wit  came  to  her  aid,  and, 
after  a  few  minutes'  conversation  on  the  sub- 
ject, she  said,  brightly  :  "  Whisht  now  an'  I  '11 
tell  yez  !  Wid  the  time  goin'  by  befar  Thanks- 
givin'  day,  the  pile  o'  stuff  in  the  back  yard 


260  THE   CHEZZLES. 

might  be  onhandy,  an'  if  yez  'd  jist  lave  arders 
wid  Captain  Pepper  to  bring  it  along  whin  he 
comes  himsilf  "  — 

"  Hurrah  !  That  's  what  we  '11  do,  sure 
enough  !  "  cried  Bob.  "  Come  on,  Challey  ! 
Come  tell  Cap'm  Pepper,  and  maybe  he  can 
pack  a  few  eels,  and  some  puff-pigs  and  "  — 

But  the  boys  were  out  of  hearing,  and  Molly 
heard  no  more. 

"  An'  if  it  was  to  come,  we  could  give  the 
unpackin'  of  it  to  Miss  Mad  Lane  ;  I  'd  invite 
her  over  mesilf  for  the  parpose  !  "  she  said  to 
herself,  laughing. 

There  was  a  strong  feeling  of  rivalry  be- 
tween the  French  cook  and  Molly,  and  it  was 
probably  only  their  inability  to  understand  each 
other's  language  which  kept  the  peace  between 
them.  Madeleine  had  no  opinion  of  Nipsit, 
and  was  continually  going  into  French  ecstasies 
over  the  "  magnifique  chateau  "  in  which  Mr. 
Penroy  had  lived  in  Meaux.  Molly,  gathering 
from  her  tone,  expression,  and  extravagant  ges- 
tures that  the  "  chateau  "  was  nothing  short  of 
royal  in  its  splendor,  went  into  Irish  ecstasies 
over  everything  which  pertained  to  the  Chezzles, 
and  the  result  was  that  neither  knew  enough  of 
what  the  other  was  saying  to  reply.  If  Molly 
had  known  about  the  new  house  in  which  the 


THE   CHEZZLES.  261 

Chezzles  were  to  live,  Madeleine  would  scarcely 
have  had  a  chance  to  put  in  a  word  sideways. 

But  Mrs.  Chezzle  wanted  the  children  to 
be  as  much  surprised  as  she  had  been,  and 
had  managed  to  keep  her  Nipsit  friends  in 
ignorance  of  the  fact  that  their  home  had 
been  transferred  from  Roxbury  to  Marlborough 
Street. 

Molly  had  a  good  many  trials  during  those 
last  few  days.  The  things  which  Challey  and 
Bob  brought  to  her  to  pack  were  not  easy  to 
manage.  When  she  was  doing  her  best  to 
make  the  packages  and  trunks  as  few  as  pos- 
sible for  the  express,  it  was  very  hard  to  find 
places  for  horseshoes  and  every  sort  of  beach 
treasure.  She  was  altogether  too  fond  of  her 
boys  to  refuse  to  take  what  they  brought,  — 
that  was  out  of  the  question,  —  and,  if  she  had 
been  left  with  absolute  authority,  even  that  bar- 
rel of  seaweed  might  have  found  its  way  to  the 
new  house.  As  it  was,  she  had  one  horseshoe 
and  several  crab-shells  packed  away  with  her 
best  bonnet.  And  there  was  Maria,  too,  bring- 
ing birds'-nests  and  snail-shells  of  every  size  and 
variety.  Maria,  in  her  determination  to  like 
everything  and  everybody  associated  with  her 
cousins,  had  thrown  herself  pell-mell  into  the 
affections  of  Molly,  who  had  in  consequence  be- 


262  THE   CHEZZLES. 

come  devoted  to  her.  Maria's  struggles  between 
the  French  and  English  tongues,  with  her  study 
of  "  sailore  talk "  and  the  occasional  creeping 
into  her  conversation  of  a  touch  of  Molly's 
brogue,  appealed  to  the  Irish  girl's  sympathy. 
The  child  had  a  delicate  ear  for  sound,  and 
picked  up  everything.  In  the  French  tongue 
she  was  at  home,  and  expressed  herself  well ; 
but,  as  the  natural  result  of  her  delight  in  newly 
found  relations,  and  the  new  home  in  which  she 
had  been  transplanted,  it  was  her  ambition  to 
adopt  the  language  which  her  playmates  used, 
and  she  was  inclined  more  and  more  to  discon- 
tinue the  use  of  French.  Her  aunt  worried 
somewhat  to  see  her  losing  what  she  had  ac- 
quired so  perfectly,  and  did  her  best  to  correct 
her  frequent  mistakes,  but  her  efforts  were  only 
feebly  supported  by  Mr.  Penroy,  who  was  too 
well  satisfied  with  the  more  important  influ- 
ences of  his  daughter's  surroundings  to  care 
for  such  a  small  matter.  "  School  and  the 
proper  teachers  will  set  everything  straight," 
he  said.  "  Her  heart  is  growing  now ;  and 
that  is  of  more  consequence  than  her  improve- 
ment in  any  language." 

But  to  Molly  it  was  most  pathetic  to  hear 
Maria  struggle  to  express  herself,  and  "  talk 
all  the  languages  to  onct,  darlint,  the  whilst  yez 


THE   CHEZZLES.  263 

are  wid  Molly  Dolan,"  she  said.  "  It 's  the  lis- 
tenin'  that 's  impartant,  an'  it 's  the  under- 
standin'  we  need  n't  be  partic'lar  about." 

So  Maria  brought  Molly  her  birds'- nests, 
shells  and  branches  of  coral,  which  were  the 
gifts  of  Captain  Pepper,  and  what  would  not 
go  into  the  trunks,  Molly  arranged  to  carry  in 
her  hands.  When  the  parcels  to  be  so  disposed 
of  met  the  scornful  gaze  of  Madeleine,  it  was  a 
little  trying  perhaps  ;  but  Molly  had  the  chil- 
dren on  her  side  and  felt  amply  rewarded  for 
her  good-nature  by  their  complete  satisfaction, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  help  which  their  ready 
young  arms  eagerly  offered. 

The  most  difficult  task  which  the  children 
had  to  perform  was  the  parting  with  little 
Ranna.  She  had  grown  so  fond  of  them  all, 
and  of  Molly,  and  now  they  were  going  away, 
and  there  was  no  way  of  telling  her  of  all  the 
good  things  which  were  in  store  for  her.  They 
took  her  their  building-blocks  as  a  parting  gift, 
and  covered  Mrs.  Barnes's  sitting-room  floor 
with  miniature  railroads,  acted  out  in  panto- 
mime the  going  away  and  returning  again, 
built  a  stage-coach  with  chairs,  did  everything 
they  could  think  of  to  make  the  little  mute  un- 
derstand, but  all  to  no  purpose.  She  danced 
about  the  room  in  high  glee,  entered  into  their 


264  THE   CHEZZLES. 

plays  with  more  spirit  than  any  of  them,  and  it 
was  wonderful  to  see  with  what  quickness  she 
mimicked  whatever  they  did. 

The  only  thing  she  did  not  understand  was 
what  made  them  look  anxious  and  troubled 
every  little  while.  She  would  go  up  to  Challey 
or  Maria,  and  look  into  their  faces  earnestly  to 
try  to  find  out.  But  it  was  of  no  use. 

"  We  might  as  well  give  it  up,"  said  Challey 
at  last.  "  We  can't  make  her  understand  a 
single  thing  that 's  going  to  happen  !  " 

So  they  said  good-by,  and  walked  away, 
looking  back  repeatedly  to  wave  their  hands, 
as  Ranna  and  her  mother  stood  upon  the  door- 
step watching  them.  Yet  they  could  have  told 
her  such  a  pretty  story  ! 

For  they  knew  that  Maria's  father  was  going 
to  send  for  Ranna  to  go  to  Boston  and  make 
her  a  visit ;  and  that  he  was  going  to  find  out 
a  beautiful  place  where  she  was  to  be  taught, 
and  where  her  mother  could  go  too,  to  take  care 
of  her.  Ranna  was  to  be  made  all  over  new, 
and  to  learn  to  be  like  everybody  else  ! 

Mrs.  Barnes  knew  it  too,  of  course ;  but  it 
was  hard,  all  the  same,  to  have  to  watch  her 
little  girl,  for  days  after  the  Chezzle  boys  and 
Maria  left  Nipsit,  running  about  everywhere 
in  search  of  her  companions.  It  was  hard  to 


THE  CHEZZLES.  265 

take  her  to  the  house  where  they  had  lived  and 
show  it  to  her,  all  shut  up  and  deserted  ;  to 
hear  her  wail  her  pitiful  cries,  and  be  as  help- 
less as  anybody  to  comfort  her.  It  was  hard 
to  discover  that,  for  a  long  time,  even  the 
sight  of  the  old  toys  the  children  had  given 
her  caused  nothing  but  pain  to  the  mute  child 
in  her  desolation.  All  she  could  be  made  to 
understand  was  that  her  playmates  were  gone. 
And  for  her  there  was  no  to-morrow,  or  by-and- 
by.  Her  life  was  only  in  each  minute  as  it 
came  and  went. 

Her  playmates  had  been  —  now  they  were 
no  more,  and  that  was  why  her  mother  found 
her,  the  day  after  they  had  left,  on  the  floor  of 
Captain  Pepper's  shop,  where  she  had  sobbed 
herself  to  sleep. 


xxm. 

MB.  PENROY  TELLS  HIS  SISTER  ABOUT  THE  VARIOUS 
PAPERS  WHICH  HAD  BEEN  SIGNED  BY  HER  AND  HIS 
TWO  FRENCH  PHYSICIANS. 

MRS.  CHEZZLE  wanted  the  children  and 
Molly  to  be  as  much  surprised  and  de- 
lighted over  the  new  house  as  she  had  been, 
and  arranged  everything  to  bring  about  that 
result.  Of  course  they  would  not  notice  a 
hundred  or  more  details  which  gave  her  the 
greatest  pleasure.  They  would  not  know  where 
scratches  had  been  varnished  or  polished  off  of 
the  furniture,  how  the  parlor  sofa  had  been 
restored  from  a  perfect  wreck  of  injuries,  how 
chairs  that  had  been  weak  in  their  joints  were 
stiffened  up  again,  or  how  curtains  had  been 
neatly  mended  and  done  up.  Molly  might 
notice  a  good  deal  of  this,  and  certainly  the 
restorations  among  the  kitchen  furniture  would 
not  escape  her,  but  the  children  would  only 
observe  what  was  new,  or  marked  changes  in 
the  general  disposition  of  things. 


THE   CHEZZLES.  267 

Most  women  enjoy  more  seeing  old  things 
restored  than  having  them  replaced  by  new 
ones,  and  Mrs.  Chezzle  bestowed  many  a 
friendly  touch  upon  the  familiar  pieces  of  fur- 
niture  as  she  dusted  the  parlor  on  the  morning 
when  the  children  arrived. 

When  she  had  finished,  she  sat  down  and 
looked  about  her  with  keen  satisfaction.  The 
children  would  half  believe  in  fairies,  all  over 
again,  she  thought.  Everything  looked  so  fresh 
and  pretty,  with  the  dainty  curtains,  new  car- 
pet and  piano,  and  pictures.  She  had  bunches 
of  chrysanthemums  on  the  piano  and  in  the 
bay-window,  had  drawn  up  the  shades  so  that 
the  sun  could  shine  in ;  the  andirons  glittered, 
and  pine  knots  crackled  in  the  fireplace.  She 
was  so  glad  that  it  was  chilly  enough  to  light 
the  fire,  and,  as  a  finishing  touch  in  her  prepa- 
rations, she  had  a  few  pieces  of  precious  drift- 
wood to  burn  by  and  by,  when  she  would  have 
shown  the  children  all  the  beauties  of  their  two 
homes,  and  they  would  sit  down  to  watch  the 
wonderful  colors  come  and  go. 

There  was  a  very  pretty  color  in  her  own 
face  when  the  carriage  stopped  at  the  door  and 
she  hurried  to  let  the  party  in  herself.  Here 
they  were,  with  then-  queer  bundles,  all  ready 
for  the  beautiful  surprise  ! 


268  THE   CHEZZLES. 

But  Mrs.  Chezzle  was  disappointed.  Of  the 
children,  Maria  was  the  only  one  in  ecstasies, 
and  it  was  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  hear  her 
and  Molly  exclaiming  at  everything  while  Chal- 
ley  and  Bob  remained  silent. 

What  on  earth  was  the  matter  ?  They  stood, 
looking  around  them  for  a  moment  or  two,  and 
then,  instead  of  the  joy  which  their  mother 
was  watching  for,  thunder-clouds  settled  upon 
their  faces  as  they  looked  at  each  other. 

"  Fred  Wellington  !  "  was  all  Challey  said, 
with  a  deep  sigh. 

Bob  said  "  Yes  "  in  a  mournful  tone,  and 
tried  not  to  let  Maria  see  that  his  face  was 
puckering.  "  Have  we  got  to  live  here  ?  "  he 
asked  his  mother. 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  "  cried  Maria,  dancing  about  on 
tiptoe  ;  "  ant  iss  my  house  only  there  ?  "  point- 
ing to  a  door  of  communication  which  her  aunt 
was  showing  to  them.  "  Ant  I  ken  come  all 
the  days  here,  chere  Tante?  Ant  iss  not  all 
of  it  bee-yu-teefle  n'est-ce  pas,  mes  cousins 
Shallee  et  Fob?  You  are  so  glat  —  n'est-ce 
pas?" 

"  Hm !  "  said  Bob.  "  You  've  been  rich  so 
long  that  you  don't  mind  it !  And  you  never 
went  to  Fred  Wellington's  !  " 

"  No  !  "  said  Challey.    "  I  bet  you  would  n't 


THE   CHEZZLES.  269 

think  it  was  nice  if  you  knew  Fred  Welling- 
ton !  " 

"  Dear  children  !  "  exclaimed  their  mother, 
in  dismay,  sitting  down  and  holding  out  a  hand 
to  each.  "  What  is  the  trouble  ?  And  what 
has  Fred  Wellington  to  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Why  he  's  got  enough  to  do  with  it ! " 
cried  Bob.  "  I  guess  you  would  n't  like  it, 
either,  if  you  had  to  —  to  only  just  spend  the 
day  there.  You  have  to  wipe  your  feet  most 
off,  to  begin  with ;  and  Fred  said  he  did  n't 
believe  his  mother  would  ever  invite  me  to  go 
there  again,  just  because  I  slid  across  the 
dining-room  floor  !  And  I  don't  care  if  I  did. 
The  stairs  were  awful  slippery  too,  so  I  'most 
fell  down  and  broke  both  my  legs !  " 

"Oh,  but  Bob!"  struck  in  Challey,  "that 
was  n't  the  worst  part.  You  know  you  tipped 
over  your  glass  of  milk  at  dinner  and  Fred's 
mother  told  you  not  to  put  your  feet  on  the 
rungs  of  the  chairs  and  you  kept  forgetting 
and  "  - 

"  Well  I  don't  care  !  "  Bob  shouted.  "  A 
fellow  can't  help  it  if  his  legs  are  too  short  — 
can  he  ?  And  there  was  n't  a  single  place  in 
the  whole  house  for  my  legs,  and  I  got  a  hole 
in  the  knee  of  my  stocking  and  Fred's  nurse 
said  if  he  had  such  a  hole  in  his  stockings  they 


270  THE    CHEZZLES. 

would  n't  let  him  go  to  the  dinner-table.  And 
I  would  n't  have  spilled  my  milk  if  I  had  n't 
been  trying  to  sit  with  my  leg  turned  the  wrong 
way,  so  that  Mrs.  Wellington  could  n't  see  the 
hole !  It  was  real  mean,  too,  when  she  threw 
away  Fred's  stones  and  his  best  caterpillar  that 
was  going  to  be  a  splendid  butterfly  ! " 

"  Yes  !  "  cried  Challey ;  "  and  oh,  mamma  ! 
she  threw  away  the  stones  because  they  had 
barnacles  and  seaweed  on  them  and  smelt  bad, 
and  I  am  awfully  afraid  Bob's  and  my  horse- 
shoes that  we  got  on  the  beach  yesterday  — 
great  splendid  ones,  mamma,  but  they  do  smell 
just  a  little  bad,  and  I  'm  afraid  you  won't  want 
us  to  keep  them  in  such  a  nice  house  as  this  is, 
because  at  Fred  Wellington's  "  — 

"  Whisht  now,  an'  let  the  Juke  o'  Welling- 
ton attind  to  his  own  concarns ! "  cried  Molly 
Dolan.  "  It 's  him  has  n't  got  a  mother  made 
o'  the  same  ma-tarial  as  is  yer  own,  Challey-bye. 
An*  if  it 's  going  aginst  yer  falings,  Mrs.  Chiz- 
zle-mum,  to  have  the  byes'  dead  fish  an'  eyes- 
ters  anny  place  else,  I  might  kape  them  out- 
side the  "  — 

But  Mrs.  Chezzle  did  not  hear  half  that 
Molly  said,  for  she  was  hugging  a  boy  with 
each  arm  and  fast  changing  the  expressions  of 
their  faces  by  telling  them  there  should  be 


THE  CHEZZLES.  271 

places  found  for  all  their  treasures,  and  some- 
thing about  a  fine  play-room  in  the  attic  to 
which  she  led  the  way  immediately. 

Dinner,  to  which  Mr.  Penroy  and  Maria  had 
come  also,  was  over  at  the  Chezzles'.  The  chil- 
dren had  gone  up-stairs  into  the  library  to  put 
together  a  toy  model  of  the  Brooklyn  bridge. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chezzle  and  Mr.  Penroy  had 
gathered  around  the  large,  open  fireplace  in  the 
front  parlor. 

"  Nelly,"  said  Mr.  Penroy,  presently,  taking 
a  seat  near  the  little  work-table  where  she  was 
busy,  "  I  want  your  close  attention  ;  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  about  something." 

"  Yes,  Tom,"  said  his  sister.  Then,  as  he 
looked  rather  grave  and  did  not  speak,  she 
asked  :  "  Shall  I  put  away  my  work  ?  Is  it  so 
important  as  that  ?  " 

"  It  is  serious,  Nelly,"  answered  her  brother. 
"  I  believe  I  am  more  in  earnest  than  I  ever  was 
before  in  my  life,  but  —  go  on  with  your  work, 
please.  I  can  talk  better  if  you  do  not  look  at 
me,  perhaps.  I  am  going  to  talk  about  you, 
my  dear.  Jack  knows  the  drift  of  what  I  am 
going  to  say,  and  he  has  promised  not  to  inter- 
rupt. You  have  disappointed  me  twice,  Nelly ; 
do  you  know  it  ?  " 


272  THE   CHEZZLES. 

"  Indeed  I  do  not,  Tom.  How  ?  "  she  asked, 
looking  up  from  the  little  garment  she  was 
making. 

"  And  now  you  are  looking  at  me,  when  I 
particularly  asked  you  not  to !  "  he  answered, 
with  a  pretense  of  annoyance.  "  What  is  that 
you  are  at  work  upon  ?  " 

"  A  night-gown  for  the  Infant  Asylum,"  she 
said,  holding  it  up  a  moment  before  resuming 
her  stitching. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said.  "  Keep  your  eyes 
upon  it,  —  it  looks  as  if  it  would  just  fit  one 
of  Bob's  ninepins,  —  and  don't  interrupt  me 
again,  or  I  shall  make  no  sort  of  progress  at 
all.  Yes,  you  have  twice  disappointed  me. 
When  I  first  imported  you,  my  child,  I  looked 
for  a  person  of  less  character  —  who  would  al- 
low me  to  —  to  assume  a  little  more  authority 
over  her,  in  fact.  But  one  day  you  blazed  up 
so  with  your  Chezzle  independence  that  I  was 
obliged  to  retreat,  against  my  will  —  against 
my  will,  I  wish  you  to  understand !  That  was 
my  first  disappointment.  My  second  was  on  one 
evening  in  Paris,  when  you  refused  to  obey  my 
orders  and  would  not  give  me  your  purse !  I 
have  done  what  I  said  I  would  —  I  have  re- 
ported you  to  Jack,  madam !  But  he  has  dis- 
appointed me  also;  he  declines  to  find  fault 


THE   CHEZZLES.  273 

with  you.  He  is  as  unmanageable  as  you  are. 
Very  well !  No  ;  it  is  not  very  well,  it  is  very 
bad  ;  but  as  I  cannot  make  either  of  you  over 
again,  and  as  I  will  not  be  responsible  for  your 
sins,  I  have  determined  to  have  recourse  to  the 
law !  Patience,  Mrs.  Chezzle  !  Patience  !  and 
keep  your  eyes  on  that  ninepin  garment.  I 
should  have  settled  all  this  long  ago,  if  you 
had  not  disappointed  me  in  the  ways  I  have  de- 
scribed. But  the  mischief  of  it  is  in  the  quiet 
way  by  which  you  have  turned  what  was  the 
simplest  sum  in  my  arithmetic  into  the  most 
difficult  problem. 

"  Here  is  the  plain  English  of  it :  After  years 
of  an  indifference  which  was  unutterably  stupid, 
I  had  worked  myself  up  into  a  state  of  semi- 
demi-interest  in  a  foreign  mission  upon  which  I 
was  about  to  bestow  considerable  property,  when 
my  lawyer,  Duvergne,  convinced  me  that  it  was 
all  a  grand  humbug.  Naturally,  I  wished  to 
get  rid  of  my  deed  of  gift,  and  would  like  to 
have  palmed  it  off  upon  my  sister.  She,  in  her 
turn,  showed  me  that  she  liked  her  Jack's  inter- 
minable letters  better  than  my  old  legal  docu- 
ments, and  did  not  exactly  decline  to  touch  it, 
but  —  what  was  as  bad,  or  worse  —  made  me 
afraid  to  offer  it  to  her.  Now  she  brings  me 
to  America  and  shows  me  a  pair  of  middies 


274  THE   CHEZZLES. 

whose  future  looks  so  well  for  their  characters 
that  I  don't  like  to  interfere  with  it  seriously. 
There  you  are,  Nelly  !  You  see  what  a  scrape 
you  have  got  me  into.  Now  I  expect  you 
to  get  me  out  of  it,  and,  as  I  informed  you,  I 
have  had  recourse  to  the  law.  Do  you  under- 
stand ?  " 

"  Not  a  syllable ! "  Mrs.  Chezzle  answered, 
dropping  her  hands  and  her  work  into  her  lap. 
"  What  can  the  law  do  to  Jack  or  me  ?  And, 
if  you  knew  that  the  Madagascar  Mission  was 
a  humbug,  why  did  you  give  it  anything  ?  Did 
not  the  doctors  and  I  sign  a  deed  of  gift  to  it 
that  morning  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,"  said  Mr.  Penroy. 

"  What  did  we  sign,  then  ?  "  she  asked,  very 
much  puzzled.  "  Jack  understands,  or  he  would 
not  look  so  much  amused." 

"  Oh,  the  doctors  signed  a  deed  of  gift  —  a 
straightforward,  honest,  bona  fide  gift,"  said 
her  brother,  laughing.  "  I  had  invited  them  to 
witness  one,  and  I  did  not  disappoint  them  in 
that.  There  was  a  little  change  in  the  order  of 
it,  however,  which  they  failed  to  observe,  that 
was  all."  And  he  and  his  brother-in-law  seemed 
to  be  enjoying  something  very  much. 

"  Do  tell  me  aU  about  it,  Tom,"  said  Mrs. 
Chezzle.  "  Since  Jack  and  you  are  so  enter- 


THE   CHEZZLES.  275 

tained  by  it,  let  me  have  a  little  of  the  fun  too, 
please." 

"Well,  Nelly,"  said  her  brother,  "they 
signed  a  deed  which  disposed  of  some  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  but  from  which  neither  the 
Madagascar  Mission  nor  the  eminent  physi- 
cians Messieurs  De  la  Quille  and  Frediqueue 
will  derive  any  benefit.  You  see,  my  dear,  I 
felt  myself  entitled  to  a  little  entertainment  out 
of  them,  for  they  had  certainly  had  their  share 
out  of  me.  And  I  am  quite  satisfied,  I  assure 
you.  The  recollection  of  those  two  rogues 
going  away  that  morning  in  such  good  spirits, 
thinking  that  they  had  made  their  fortunes 
out  of  me,  is  very  satisfactory,  I  assure  you. 
When  they  reached  home  they  found  a  letter 
from  Duvergne  explaining  the  situation  to  them. 
He  thought  I  missed  the  best  part  of  the  play 
by  not  having  the  denotement  in  the  library, 
after  they  had  witnessed  my  deed.  But  I  had 
had  enough  of  them  and  was  quite  willing  to 
let  the  curtain  drop  where  it  did.  They  are 
fine  actors  —  all  four  of  those  men,  Nelly. 
We  paid  a  rather  high  price  for  the  entertain- 
ment, but  it  was  worth  something." 

"  When  did  you  lose  sight  of  the  mission- 
aries, Tom  ?  "  asked  his  sister. 

"  T  did  not   have  to  do  that  at   all  —  Du- 


276  THE   CHEZZLES. 

vergne  lost  them,"  Mr.  Penroy  answered.  "  He' 
did  it  pretty  effectually  too.  We  thought  that 
even  Frediqueue  and  De  la  Quille  did  not  know 
where  they  were  when  we  came  away.  The 
lawyers  had  discovered  their  whole  scheme  to 
be  a  fraud,  and  might  have  had  all  four  men 
arrested.  Roubaix  and  Duvergne  both  thought 
I  ought  to  allow  them  to  do  it,  have  the  thing 
exposed,  and  the  men  convicted  as  swindlers. 
But  it  would  have  altered  my  plans  so  entirely, 
postponing  considerably  my  coming  here,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  disagreeable  publicity  and  a 
thousand  other  annoyances,  that  I  would  not 
consent.  It  would  have  pleased  me  to  pre- 
vent the  doctors  from  practising  medicine  any 
more.  I  would  like  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  I  was  their  last  patient.  But  they 
will  certainly  set  up  their  next  office  a  good 
way  from  the  offices  of  Messrs.  Roubaix  and 
Duvergne." 

"  Oh,  they  '11  get  up  a  new  comedy  alto- 
gether," said  Mr.  Chezzle,  throwing  a  bit  of 
driftwood  on  the  fire.  "  Their  genius  does 
not  stop  with  either  medicine  or  missionary 
work.  It  will  not  be  easy  for  them  to  find 
another  patient  like  Mr.  Thomas  Penroy,  and 
they  will  abandon  the  medical  profession." 

"  Tom,"  said  Mrs.  Chezzle,  leaving  her  work 


THE    CHEZZLES.  277 

to  sit  down  by  her  husband  on  the  cosy  little 
sofa  on  one  side  of  the  fireplace,  "  what  did  / 
sign  that  morning  ?  Was  it  anything  to  do 
with  the  mission  ?  " 

"  So,"  he  exclaimed,  "  Mrs.  Chezzle's  curi- 
osity is  roused  at  last,  is  it  ?  Well,  it  shall  be 
satisfied.  No,  my  dear  ;  your  paper  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  Mad  Mission,  although  it 
concerned  missionary  work  perhaps.  It  gave 
you  a  mission  of  your  own,  and  I  expect  you 
to  fulfill  it.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  little  sister, 
it  was  not  exactly  a  legal  paper  at  all.  As 
long  as  I  believed  in  that  Madagascar  scheme 
I  meant  to  ask  you  to  be  one  of  the  witnesses 
of  my  deed ;  but  when  my  purpose  changed, 
the  character  of  the  deed  made  your  signature 
a  little  unnecessary  —  rather  out  of  place,  in 
fact.  So  "  —  Mr.  Penroy  went  behind  the  sofa 
where  his  sister  was  sitting,  and  leaned  over 
her  with  a  very  pleasant  expression  upon  his 
face,  as  he  continued  —  "so  —  to  avoid  mys- 
tifying you,  I  had  to  get  up  something  for  you 
to  sign,  you  see.  You  need  n't  be  worried  ; 
it  was  not  a  legal  document,  and  you  may  burn 
it,  if  you  like.  It  was  only  a  little  agreement 
between  you  and  me,  which  your  Jack  here 
quite  approves  of  —  an  agreement  to  help  your 


278  THE   CHEZZLES. 

old  brother  practise  some  of  the  disinterested- 
ness you  have  in  such  abundance  ;  to  stand  by 
him  and  aid  him,  by  carrying  out  the  purpose 
of  the  deed  those  villains  signed,  as  well  as  you 
can.  For  in  that  deed  —  this  is  what  I  meant 
by  having  recourse  to  the  law  —  I  placed  the 
sum  I  had  intended  for  the  Mad  Mission  at 
the  disposal  of  Ellen  Chezzle,  for  the  establish- 
ment here  of  some  kind  of  institution  which 
will  make  the  world  better  off.  So,  there  it  is, 
Nelly,"  dropping  a  paper  into  her  lap,  "  and  it 
is  for  you  to  say  whether  we  will  set  up  a  new 
public  library,  or  a  Home  for  mute  children 
like  Maria's  little  friend,  or  —  what  do  you  say 
to  a  new  home  for  your  '  Ninepin  Babies  '  ? 
Are  n't  the  '  Ninepin  Babies '  better  objects  of 
charity  than  the  Madagascar  savages  ?  Well, 
well ! "  he  cried,  taking  her  head  tenderly  be- 
tween his  hands  and  rubbing  her  hair  all  the 
wrong  way  as  he  stooped  low  enough  to  kiss 
her  forehead,  "  I  have  hit  upon  a  new  dis- 
covery !  I  believe  your  *  Ninepin  Babies '  are 
almost  as  becoming  to  you,  little  woman,  as 
your  husband  and  children  are  !  " 

She  had  clasped  her  husband's  arm  and  was 
beginning  to  exclaim,  "  0  Jack  !  Jack !  "  as 
if  it  was  all  his  doing,  when  there  was  a 


THE   CHEZZLES.  279 

noise  of  young  feet  overhead  and  the  children 
came  scampering  down-stairs,  Challey  carrying 
the  Brooklyn  bridge  under  one  arm. 

"  Just  in  time  to  bring  you  to,  Nelly !  " 
said  her  brother,  leaving  her  and  going  to  meet 
the  children.  "  Come  along,  middies,  and  let 
us  see  how  it  works." 

"  It  is  the  most  splendid  thing  you  ever  saw, 
Uncle  Tom,  and  it  goes  up  as  easy  as  nothing  !  " 
cried  Challey,  dumping  the  box  on  the  floor 
and  tumbling  the  bridge  out  in  pieces.  "  See 
how  fast  we  can  do  it !  " 

He  and  Maria  set  to  work  putting  the  blocks 
in  the  proper  order,  while  Bob  hitched  together 
a  tiny  train  of  cars  and  scattered  a  medley  of 
little  boats  on  the  carpet. 

"  You  pull  this  string,  you  see,  and  the  cars 
go  over  the  top.  And  one  fellow  stays  over 
there  and  another  has  to  be  here ! "  screamed 
Bob,  while  Challey  was  explaining  another  part 
of  the  toy.  Maria,  down  on  her  knees,  was 
pulling  miniature  boats  along  under  the  bridge 
and  watched  her  opportunity,  when  the  boys' 
voices  lulled,  to  exclaim : 

"  See !  Viola  chere  Tante  et  mon  Oncle 
Tchonn,  et  mon  Papa !  Effery  think  is  h-h- 
high-tide-sailing  affore  the  wint !  " 


280 


THE  CHEZZLES. 


But  her  aunt  did  not  hear  her  because  her 
eyes  were  looking  at  vacancy,  —  just  as  they 
were  looking  at  the  beginning  of  this  story,  — 
and  she  was  smiling  to  herself,  with  her  mind 
busy  among  the  "  Ninepin  Babies." 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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